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Quick Facts : Guy Fawkes Day
| Date:
November 05, 2012 |
Type:
National |
Also Called:
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| Celebrations:
Bonfires & Fireworks |
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Image
Courtesy: wikiPedia |
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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. |
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Other holidays celebrated in United Kingdom (UK)
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