The 5th of November

"Remember, remember, the Fifth of November: 

     the gunpowder treason and plot.

  I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason 

     should ever be forgot."

Today is Guy Fawkes Day in Britain. The holiday celebrates the discovery of an early 17th century "gunpower plot" by Catholics to blow up the House of Lords (along with King James I) on the opening day of Parliament, as the first step in restoring the established Church of England to Roman Catholicism.

The bonfire more than an hour after it was lighted!

Although Fawkes was just one of the conspirators, he happened to be the one they found in the crypt under old Westminster Palace in the early morning hours of 5 November 1605 with the kegs of gunpowder. Bonfires were lit across the country to celebrate that the plot was foiled and the king was saved.

To this day, on the early morning of the opening session of Parliament, they send some guy down into the basement with a lantern, looking for gunpowder. I'm sure he goes in right after the SWAT team and the bomb-sniffing dogs have finished.

The "Occupy Wall Street" (and "Occupy London") protesters have adopted the Guy Fawkes masks made popular in the 2006 sci-fi thriller, V for Vendetta. So the name of Guy Fawkes is once again associated with political descent, rebellion, and overthrowing the established order.

But for Brits today, the holiday seems to be mostly a good excuse for a few ales at the pub and a whole lot of fireworks. Our neighborhood is still popping! Stepping outside, the smoke is thick. Brits are way more into fireworks on this day than Americans are on July 4.

The City of Nottingham lights a big bonfire in a park about a mile from our house. Thousands of people turn out. We walked down to see the fireworks display, which was quite impressive.