Also known as Bonfire Night, Cracker Night, or Fireworks Night, Guy Fawkes Night celebrates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot of the 5th November 1605 in which a number of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London. Eventually Guy Fawkes confessed and was hanged along with other conspirators.Since then the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries have celebrated it at some time during the year. In New Zealand it is celebrated on the anniversary of the plot, November 5, and is marked by bonfires and fireworks. The sale of fireworks in this country is regulated and they can only be purchased by those 18 years and over for the four days leading up to Guy Fawkes.
We don’t usually bother with fireworks but tonight if the weather permits (some really nasty weather has been predicted which would most definitely put a stop to any fireworks) we might take a drive and watch the display of others’ fireworks from up on the small hill that acts as the car park next to the beach. Or we might stay home and just view the neighbours’ firework displays. Whatever we do, we’ll have to lock up our dog as she really doesn’t like fireworks at all.
A few years ago we celebrated Guy Fawkes with friends from England and they had a custom where they made an effigy or ‘Guy’ and burnt it on the bonfire. If it sounds like a gruesome practice, that’s because it is!
Guy Fawkes was not burnt at the stake, but others in history have been. The early translators of the Bible often paid for it with their lives. John Hus was burned at the stake in 1415; William Tyndale was incarcerated for 500 days before he was strangled and burned at the stake in 1536; others with friends in high places managed to escape death but were often cut off from home and country. And yet, as far as I know, there is no day to celebrate what they achieved during their often difficult and short lives. So when I see the fireworks tonight and the bonfires on the beach I'm going to take some time to think about all those that were prepared to pay the ultimate sacrifice so that the 'common people' could have the Bible in their own language. Surely that is worth celebrating!
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