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HISTORY OF GUY
FAWKES
Born: 13 April 1570,
Stonegate, Yorkshire
Executed: 31
January 1606, Old Palace Yard, Westminster
Bonfire Night
November 5th is known
as "Bonfire Night" or "Guy Fawkes Night", and all over Britain
people fire off fireworks, light bonfires, and burn effigies of Guy
Fawkes. Some celebrate the failure of the "Gunpowder Plot",
others the attempt, in which a group of Catholic conspirators attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament
in Westminster when the Protestant King James I was within its
walls. That was 400 years ago,
5th of November 1605, in England.
Gunpowder Plot
This "Gunpowder Plot" occurred two years after King James I (of the
"King James Bible" fame) ascended to the throne. A group of English
Catholics, of which Guido Fawkes was a member, decided to kill the
King because it was felt he had reneged on his promises to stop the
persecution of Catholics. To this day, it is the law in Britain that
a Roman Catholic cannot hold the office of monarch and the Queen is
still Supreme Head of the Church of England.
Whilst they succeeded
in smuggling several barrels of gunpowder into the basement of the
Parliament, the plot was foiled at
the eleventh hour: some of the plotters escaped and some turned
King's Evidence and reported on the rest. The unlucky Fawkes was
taken in chains to the Tower of London. He was hanged, drawn and
quartered. The charge was treason, though some people in England
prefer to remember Guy as "the only man ever to enter Parliament
with honourable intentions."
Traditions
To this day, one of
the ceremonies that accompany the opening of a new session of
parliament is the searching of the basement by a bunch of men in
funny hats. Parliament somehow made political capital out of the
close call and poor Guy Fawkes is burned in effigy every November
5th on bonfires all over Britain. They sell a lot of fireworks too
and children beg for money on the streets to buy them:
"Penny for the guy, mister?"
Anti-Fireworks
As the twentieth
century wore on, increased disposable income led to more and bigger
fireworks being used in domestic settings, and by children, and
greater concerns about safety came to the fore in general.
Medical professionals
attribute fireworks incidents to causing the loss of eyesight, or
fingers, and numerous cases of burns and related injuries. Fire and
Police officials identify the Guy Fawkes period as a very busy time,
with numerous callouts to fires caused by fireworks and complaints
about the misuse of fireworks endangering the public, or damaging
property, often with improvised explosive devices using large
quantities of fireworks. Others also point out that animals are
distressed by the sounds, and bright flashes, of Guy Fawkes Night
and call for animals to be kept inside, in quiet places. Zoo staff
often express particular concerns for their animals' safety.
Campaigners have used
these concerns to press for restrictions on fireworks sales in the
countries that celebrate Guy Fawkes Night. These have ranged from
voluntary codes of practice to calls for an outright ban on personal
use, with professional public displays being called for instead.
Australia
In Australia, a former
British colony like South Africa, the sale
of personal use fireworks has been banned in all states, with only
authorised persons being permitted to mount displays.
Support Voice for the
Voiceless
Please, consider the
dangers & effects of fireworks
and put an end to a celebration that is not relevant in our country.
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