History of Bonfire Night
Also known originally as ‘Gunpowder Treason Day’ it started as a commemoration of the foiling of the plot to blow up Parliament and kill, the then King, James I.
In the early days it was made law to commemorate this day and people were expected to attend church and give thanks. They would be punished with a flogging if they did not attend. In the evening people would gather around bonfires and it became an event for anti-Catholic sentiment, which in places such as Lewis in Sussex, would become very violent in nature. This law was not rescinded until 1859, after attitudes towards the Catholics had changed and anti-social behaviour towards them had calmed considerably.
The well-known nursery rhyme ‘Remember, remember the 5th of November’ has no known author, it is known as a folk verse and originated in the 1600’s.
By the late Georgian/ early Victorian period, the day was referred to as ‘Guy Fawkes Day.’ The 1870’s saw the night became a night for people to come together and celebrate in a peaceful manner, with bonfires and firework displays, often raising money for charities and good causes. It was now being referred to as’ Bonfire Night.’
The time frame for the making of ‘Guys’ as we call them, effigies of Guy Fawkes, is a little more unclear, as some reports are as early as the late 1700’s, with kids making small handheld effigies of Guy Fawkes, which they would use when begging, in the run up to the day. However, there are reports in the early days of small effigies of anybody that was hated, and this included the Pope, being made and burned at gatherings. The large versions we see today placed on bonfires, seem to appear first in the early 1900’s. These coincide with the large firework manufacturers, who started rebranding the event in marketing campaigns as ‘Fireworks Night’ in an attempt to cash in. These large effigies were paraded around by kids chanting the saying ‘a penny for the guy’.
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9moLooks like a great event! Nice work Bob, Thane & staff!