GUY FAWKES DAY

The Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated in UK every year on 5th of November. The day is celebrated to commemorate the Gunpowder Plot of the year 1605. The Gunpowder Plot was meant to kill King James I and destroy the English Parliament. One of the main conspirators of the plot was Guy Fawkes, after which the day is named.

In the 17th century, the Catholics in Great Britain had become frustrated with the indifferent and harsh attitude of the people and the government towards their religion. The Gunpowder Plot was meant to be the beginning of the Catholic uprising. The conspirators of the plot began planning a year in advance. Around 36 barrels of gunpowder was stored in the House of Lords which were covered with iron bars and firewood. However, the conspiracy was exposed by a secret letter to Lord Monteagle, who was persuaded not to attend the Parliament on that day.

The letter saw a massive hunt for the perpetrators and Guy Fawkes was finally arrested on the day, with a few others held and some killed too. The people of Great Britain were happy that their King was saved and this was followed by burning of firecrackers and bonfires, which led to the current tradition of Guy Fawkes Day.

Also called the Bonfire Night or the Guy Fawkes Night, the day is celebrated with a show of fireworks and bonfires. Unlike the 18th and the 19th century when the celebrations were more robust, the celebrations of the day have become largely muted. However, some parts of Great Britain still celebrate the day in a customary fashion. Men run after each other on the streets with kit tar barrels while effigies of Guy Fawkes are also burnt in certain parts. Bonfires form a major part of the celebrations with the greatest one being in Lewes, England. Also called the Bonfire Capital of the World, thousands of people throng the streets at night in Lewes in front of a large bonfire to celebrate the day. In Lewes, the day is also celebrated in memory of the Protestant Martyrs who laid down their life during the Marian Persecutions.