Remember, Remember The 5Th of November

404 years ago, a young man by the name of Guido (or Guy) Fawkes, was discovered in the cellar beneath the Houses of Parliament, along with enough explosives to blow up the entire parliament to smitherines. It was a part of a Catholic plot against the protestant King and government, and has been described as one of the first acts of terrorism in British history.

If that’s the case, then why exactly do we celebrate this act of terrorism with bonfires and firework displays? Surely we wouldn’t celebrate terrorism, particularly not in the aftermath of 9/11? The truth is, sadly, that November 5th has long since ceased to actually be anything about Guy Fawkes, and is associated solely with fireworks that have become increasingly more powerful and expensive. How many children these days make ‘guy’ and call out ‘penny for the guy’? Very few, if any. They might learn the old rhyme: “Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot,” but largely the gunpowder treason has been forgotten, or at least lost in the commercialisation of bonfire night.

As a York girl, I’m unashamedly proud of my city’s link to Guy Fawkes. I used to work in a bookshop in Stonegate that was reputed to be the birthplace of Guido, and passed every day the Guy Fawkes hotel. Strangely, considering the connection to Guy Fawkes, York City Council choose not to provide a free public bonfire and firework display for its residents. Perhaps that’s just as well. It would, I suppose, be remiss of the city elders to celebrate one of its most famous citizen’s terrible downfall!