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Gunpowder, Treason and Plot!

iStudentUK

iStudentUK

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 8, 2009
1,439
4
London
Bonfire night is upon us, it's something I really enjoy. Anyone else up to anything exciting this evening?

For those that don't know tonight is bonfire night (aka Guy Fawkes night) here in the UK. Most of the population will go out and celebrate Guy Fawkes' failure to destroy the Houses of Parliament. We light bonfires and set off fireworks. I'd say it's a bigger event than Haloween, near where I live there is a firework display that attracts nearly 100,000 people each year. I find it interesting that the Guy Fawkes mask (made famous in V for Vendetta) had become so visible in the recent capitalist protests. I'm curious, do people in outside the UK know much about who he was?
 
I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.

Few big firework displays near me, can see some from my window. Been really lucky with the weather for this time of year, no wind, clear skies almost.
 
All I know is Natalie Portman had a lousy English accent and was not hot AT ALL bald.

Period.

:p
 
iStudentUK said:
Bonfire night is upon us, it's something I really enjoy. Anyone else up to anything exciting this evening?

For those that don't know tonight is bonfire night (aka Guy Fawkes night) here in the UK. Most of the population will go out and celebrate Guy Fawkes' failure to destroy the Houses of Parliament. We light bonfires and set off fireworks. I'd say it's a bigger event than Haloween, near where I live there is a firework display that attracts nearly 100,000 people each year. I find it interesting that the Guy Fawkes mask (made famous in V for Vendetta) had become so visible in the recent capitalist protests. I'm curious, do people in outside the UK know much about who he was?
Click to expand...

no. is that why all the EPL teams wore a red flower on their kits this week?
 
pachyderm said:
no. is that why all the EPL teams wore a red flower on their kits this week?
Click to expand...

No that's unrelated.

Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up in Houses of Parliament in the early 17th century with gunpowder (didn't like the new Protestant King and wanted to assassinate him and parliament to bring in a Catholic system). He was caught just in time. Each 5th November we light bonfires and launch fireworks to celebrate the fact he failed, although the Guy Fawkes element is less obvious now. It's often just called Fireworks Night or Bonfire Night.

The red flowers are poppies. Every November 11th is Rememberance Day and at 11am we hold a two minute silence (the WW1 armistice was signed at 11am 11th November 1918). For about a week or two before then people sell these poppies on the street and people donate money for one. The money goes to the British Legion who support ex-servicemen. It's widely followed, I'd estimate 80% of people wear a poppy, and most businesses, shops, schools etc pause for the two mins silence. There are many services up and down the country, and on the Sunday after the 11th which is called Rememberance Sunday. It is about remembering all the soliders who have died throughout all the wars. The poppy is used as during WW1 the trenches disturbed many seeds and after the war ended many red poppies bloomed.
 
Penny for the guy? no we should burn the chav's whom buy fireworks from asda and set them off in roads and into people's houses etc.

Anyway, it's a complete nightmare, just like the unfortunate incident on the M5, driving back from the trafford centre was a nightmare in parts visibility dropped to <1m within seconds... very scary!
 
iStudentUK said:
I'm curious, do people in outside the UK know much about who he was?
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My dad's English, so I've been familiar with the basics of it for a long time. It wasn't until I found out about Wikipedia that I got more of the reason behind it though. :)
 
Melrose said:
My dad's English, so I've been familiar with the basics of it for a long time. It wasn't until I found out about Wikipedia that I got more of the reason behind it though. :)
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I can't believe there was a time before Wikipedia! Now if the internet goes down (which is thankfully rare) I normally adopt the foetal position and quietly weep until it comes back!
 
The 5Th Usually Affords

Me a lot of trick photo opportunities, but this year they cancelled the usual organised event across the river from me, and most people seemed to just have a few fireworks in their gardens.

I set my camera's up, but no good shots I'm afraid.
 
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