Guy Fawkes Day

Nickface · Post by **Nickface** » November 5th, 2005, 18:19

So, how widely do you guys celebrate? From what I gather, it's much similiar to our 4th of July, where we just basically light off fireworks and get drunk.

How right am I on this?

Stoat · Post by **Stoat** » November 5th, 2005, 18:24

Sounds about right.

There's hot food outside in the cold, usually, and a massive fire. Lots of hedgehogs die this night, sadly.

Post by **Dog Pants** » November 5th, 2005, 18:27

Boo. I much prefer hedgehogs to fireworks.

Nickface · Post by **Nickface** » November 5th, 2005, 18:29

Stoat wrote:a massive fire

yay for massive fires! That's what we try to do every year as well.

<img src="http://nickface.org/random/2003fire.jpg">

cashy · Post by **cashy** » November 5th, 2005, 18:32

difference being we make a bloke and stick him ontop of the fire, to celebrate when we realy did set fire to some bloke on a big fire (mr Guy Fawkes). we tortured him for a bit first though naturaly

Woo Elephant Yeah · Post by **Woo Elephant Yeah** » November 5th, 2005, 18:45

Nickface wrote:
Stoat wrote:a massive fire
yay for massive fires! That's what we try to do every year as well.

<img src="http://nickface.org/random/2003fire.jpg">

Fuck me that looks like a scene from The Wicker Man

Post by **ProfHawking** » November 5th, 2005, 19:03

Bonfire night is brill!
Im setting off about £120 worth of fireworks tonight, and although have no room for a bigass fire, got a bbq to get going and saussages to go on it

Post by **Roman Totale** » November 5th, 2005, 20:11

Woo Elephant Yeah wrote:
Nickface wrote:
Stoat wrote:a massive fire
yay for massive fires! That's what we try to do every year as well.

<img src="http://nickface.org/random/2003fire.jpg">
Fuck me that looks like a scene from The Wicker Man

The land in Nickface's neck of the woods is always fertile.

Post by **Grimmie** » November 5th, 2005, 21:10

We didn't set the blighter on fire.
Hung Drawn and quartered.

- Dragged through the streets of London upsidedown by a horse
- Hung by a noose till half-dead
- His genetalia cut off
- His heart and bowells drawn from his body
- His head severed and stuck upon a pike
- Body cut into quarters and hug from London Bridge.

Bonfires symbolise what would've been the smoking wreck of the Parliament building, and the fireworks symbolise the explosions. People burn ethogies of Guy Fawkes ever since to show their disgust with him.

Jinxx · Post by **Jinxx** » November 5th, 2005, 21:18

Grimmie wrote:People burn effigies of Guy Fawkes ever since to show their disgust with him.

Except in parts of the south coast, where the pope gets burnt instead.

Personally, I think Mr. Fawkes had a grand plan *listens for clicks on the line*, and that the pope is a rather suitable candidate for burning *listens for more clicks*.

Post by **Grimmie** » November 5th, 2005, 21:40

Jinxx wrote:Except in parts of the south coast, where the pope gets burnt instead.

Courtosey of Wikipedia: The Gunpowder Plot
The plot is immortalised in the popular verse:

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
gunpowder, treason and plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,
'twas his intent
to blow up the King and the Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below,
Poor old England to overthrow:
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, make the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
Hip hip hoorah!

(traditionally the following verses were also sung, but they have fallen out of favour because of their content)

A penny loaf to feed the Pope.
A farthing o' cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down.
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar.
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head.
Then we'll say ol' Pope is dead.
Hip hip hoorah!
Hip hip hoorah!

Post by **Dog Pants** » November 5th, 2005, 23:17

A time for amateur pyrotechnicians* to let off** explosive devices for the enjoyment of*** family and friends****

*Me
**Fuck up
***in the direction of
****a 10 year old boy

Luckily no injuries were caused

Post by **FatherJack** » November 5th, 2005, 23:19

It's a celebration of a religiously-motivated terrorist plot being foiled, to use modern terminology.

Obviously punishments for such crimes in the early 17th century were rather more...visceral.

Post by **Dog Pants** » November 5th, 2005, 23:21

But no more terminal. At least society has advanced far enough to kill them quickly by shooting them repeatedly in the face.

Post by **FatherJack** » November 5th, 2005, 23:33

Indeed, although we have learned many things since then.

Terrorists have learned not to send messages to their mates warning them away from the scene, and the horses of law and order have learned that nothing beats a public execution.

I went to a fireworks display at my sister's village's school tonight and had a most enjoyable time, apart from burning my hand a bit on a sparkler. Not exactly in the Premier League as far as injuries go, but I expect the government would try to ban them if they found out about it.

Post by **Joose** » November 6th, 2005, 0:16

Unless, of course, You live in the Somerset area. Being wierd buggers, while everyone else decided to celebrate by burning things ad letting off explosives, the people of my home town (Bridgwater) danced down the street a bit, then held large homemade fireworks over their head. This eventually mutated into the extravagant piece of wierdness that is the Bridgwater Carnival (Largest lit carnival in the world!)

Utter maddness. Basically involves people spending all year making fucking huge trailers covered in lights and moving parts, then standing on them dancing. Really quite strange; Simultaneously silly, shit, amazingly impressive, exciting and dull.

JamieChalm · Post by **JamieChalm** » November 6th, 2005, 0:48

I looked at a 3 foot high bonfire, then watched about 5 fireworks. Then I went home and watched TV.

I love life :D

Post by **FatherJack** » November 6th, 2005, 1:06

Joose wrote:the extravagant piece of wierdness that is the Bridgwater Carnival

I think we have relatives there, or somewhere like it.

There was talk tonight of the whole clan going down one year. The gist, as I heard it was that the various "factions" in the town "compete" against each other in the parade, and then go off to their own hilltop bonfire do's.

I can't remember for the life of me where our lot were talking about - some rich eccentric auntie of my Dad's who owns half of whatever county it is they live in.

Dad's been doing his family tree and is apparently a descendant of an Earl of Warwick, and has memories of some distant relative who used to ride around in a carriage everywhere. We suspected she was just a nutter, which would explain much.

NiGhtcrawler · Post by **NiGhtcrawler** » November 6th, 2005, 11:13

well i spent it in the pub getting drunk then seeing the chef from the pub (my friend) propose to his girlfriend (she said yes lol) im still a bit hungover and have work in bout 40mins

oh we had explosions to hehe

cashy · Post by **cashy** » November 6th, 2005, 12:52

Grimmie wrote:We didn't set the blighter on fire.
Hung Drawn and quartered.

- Dragged through the streets of London upsidedown by a horse
- Hung by a noose till half-dead
- His genetalia cut off
- His heart and bowells drawn from his body
- His head severed and stuck upon a pike
- Body cut into quarters and hug from London Bridge.

Bonfires symbolise what would've been the smoking wreck of the Parliament building, and the fireworks symbolise the explosions. People burn ethogies of Guy Fawkes ever since to show their disgust with him.

i thought they did actualy (did it quite a bit in school) but then thought 'so why the fuck do we set fire to him?'. but i suppose we cant have our kids hang draw and quarter someone every year eh