How Is Guy Fawkes Night Celebrated?

[Schiehallion]

The building and collecting of wood for the bonfire was a daily and exciting chore after school. It was a good way that people could dispose of their garden and general rubbish, as long as it would burn we would take it. The activity of going from house to house to collect and in guarding the pile as it got bigger and bigger was paramount for weeks before. The pile became as high as 12 to 15 feet and about 12 feet across. The money from people who we hoped admired our 'Guy' went to buy fireworks, and on many a street corner you would hear "Penny for the Guy". On the night, the flames would leap high into the November sky! Yes, Parkin, Treacle toffee, baked spuds in the embers, and loads of fireworks. A great family occasion. (The night before was Mischief Night when we would get up to all sorts of pranks.) These days bonfires are smaller and less evident and displays of fireworks are far more common (Health and safety issues in our Nanny State) I miss the days of my boyhood and have very vibrant memories of our festivities.

The Guy is named after Guido Fawkes who was executed in 1606.
The gunpowder Plot was a Roman Catholic conspiracy to get rid of a protestant King who would be opening Parliament, and had nothing to do with James I of England /James VI of Scotland being a Scot.
Originally effigies of the Pope were burned, but not after the reign of James II who was Catholic. To this day the Palace of Westminster Parliament buildings are search prior to the State Opening by the Monarch.

[JockInSkye]

I don't celebrate it, I think Guy Fawkes was a national hero.

[skauwt]

these days health and safety has killed off much of the fun of guy fawkes night

fireworks are harder to get all the good fireworks have been banned and the bonfires are setup by the local council in a safe area which is inspected by the local fire-service , any bonfire outwith the council area basicly gets watered down and destroyed,
the fireworks display is also sectioned off and these days your not even allowed to take your own fireworks to any government run show again health and safety gone coo coo

so now its down the fathers and the odd mother to buy some cheap Chinese fireworks and set them off in the garden or away from any public area,

it used to be in my younger days alot more fun sadly now most folk celebrate can depend on which day of the week it falls on
eg on a weekend it'll be a nice night to meet up with friends and there children a wee party some drink cakes and so on but if its during the week then its just a case of setting a few fireworks off and then back home

and if your like me and live 8 floors up you get to watch half of the Strathclyde valleys fireworks and what a sight it is to see over 2 million Scottish households doing there bit for guyfawkes

[Lallans]

these days health and safety has killed off much of the fun of guy fawkes night

fireworks are harder to get all the good fireworks have been banned and the bonfires are setup by the local council in a safe area which is inspected by the local fire-service , any bonfire outwith the council area basicly gets watered down and destroyed,
the fireworks display is also sectioned off and these days your not even allowed to take your own fireworks to any government run show again health and safety gone coo coo

so now its down the fathers and the odd mother to buy some cheap Chinese fireworks and set them off in the garden or away from any public area,

it used to be in my younger days alot more fun sadly now most folk celebrate can depend on which day of the week it falls on
eg on a weekend it'll be a nice night to meet up with friends and there children a wee party some drink cakes and so on but if its during the week then its just a case of setting a few fireworks off and then back home

and if your like me and live 8 floors up you get to watch half of the Strathclyde valleys fireworks and what a sight it is to see over 2 million Scottish households doing there bit for guyfawkes

Pretty soon they'll probably have a simulated bonfire using CF lights, fans, and orange crepe paper. Which eventually will only be held in the daytime in order to avoid the danger of tripping on darkened pavements on the way home. And then many parents will decide it's safer for the children to watch the event on TV, especially when stories about the orange dye used in the crepe paper begin to circulate.

[Mike_Oettle]

Officially, Guy Fawkes has been banned in South Africa, except for a few licensed fireworks displays.
Gone are the days of a bonfire in the nearest open lot, fed with fuel of all sorts from around the neighbourhood, and everyone letting off crackers, shooting rockets (there was a popular one with a little astronaut in it when I was young) and waving sparklers.
But unofficially, a lot of people sell fireworks without a permit, and a few children are hurt (sometimes really seriously injured) every year.
Guy Fawkes also coincides with Diwali, which is big in the (Hindu) Indian community. Across the valley from where I live is a suburb with a great many Indian residents (some Hindu, some Muslim, some Christian). They light up the sky with some spectacular stuff.
And in some poor parts of the city, children set tyres alight and send them rolling downhill. Now that is a clear and present danger to the neighbourhood!
The police have great difficulty in persuading the youngsters not to do it.
Regards,
Mike

[skauwt]

Pretty soon they'll probably have a simulated bonfire using CF lights, fans, and orange crepe paper. Which eventually will only be held in the daytime in order to avoid the danger of tripping on darkened pavements on the way home. And then many parents will decide it's safer for the children to watch the event on TV, especially when stories about the orange dye used in the crepe paper begin to circulate.

i know its worrying it really has gone health and safety mad the united kingdom ,im only 32 and even as a lad "a penny for the guy " was dying out around here folk not wanting kids talking to strangers and even folk from as little as 10 doors down (yet they are happy with them doing it a few days before on halloween )
perhaps one day common sense will prevail for some of the cultural yearly activities

[Downunder Kilt]

Pretty soon they'll probably have a simulated bonfire using CF lights, fans, and orange crepe paper. Which eventually will only be held in the daytime in order to avoid the danger of tripping on darkened pavements on the way home. And then many parents will decide it's safer for the children to watch the event on TV, especially when stories about the orange dye used in the crepe paper begin to circulate.

You are so right, here in Victoria, with all our laws being made to protect us from everything, we are now being called the Nanny State.

[Bugbear]

That's funny, the image of children toting their "guy" creations around to get pennies for firecrackers. Love it.

* "guarding the pile "

[Bugbear]

It sounds a little bit like our fourth of July over here in the States. People in my neighborhood do set off some fireworks, and have small bonfires or pit fires around that time and several other occasions; the fireworks are not supposed to be used in our state.

The people across the street, who I don't know well, have a small pit fire in their front yard every week or two; I think they are cooking.

[O'Callaghan]

Nobody mentionned bobbing for apples, or toasting sausages in the bonfire on the end of a stick.

ETA: Yes, I know that Americans use marshmallows instead of sausages.

It is a lot like the 4th of July, but with Guy Fawkes burnt in effigy! Nowadays we would have called him a terrorist. Just imagine if you had someone digging a tunnel under Congress to fill with explosives and blow it up. That's essentially the actual scenario, but involving the House of Common in London instead. I don't know who'd be more likely to try it - Al Qaeda or the Tea Party! Both as barmy as eachother IMHO!