Guy Fawkes- UK's celebration of the failure to blow up our government!
Here in the UK, we hold an annual commemoration on the 5th of November to mark the failed attempt of the apply named " Gun Powder Plot". Each year people will spend vast amount's of money on Fireworks the night's sky. Then huddle together, while eating hotdog's, toffee apple's and baked potato's and stare in amazement as we watch effigies of a would-be-terrorist being burnt a large bonfire.
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The brief history
On the 5th of November 1605, a plot to blow up the house's of parliament and assassinate the Protestant King James I, so that he could then be replaced by that of a Catholic leader was afoot. Lead by a group of Catholics, ex-millitary man Guy (or Guido) Fawkes, smuggled 36 barrel's of gunpowder underneath the house of lords and armed with matches and flint, was caught only moment's away from carrying out the act of treason. He was then subjected to torture until he gave up the name's of his fellow conspirator's who were then caught, hung, drawn and quartered for their crimes. People across the UK celebrated the survival of the king by lighting huge bonfires across the country and an act was the introduced calling November the fifth a day of thanksgiving and celebrated with fires and gunpowder or as we know today fireworks.
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Making a guy
One of the great thing's as kids is that you get to make a guy to put on top of the fire. to do this you just need and set of old clothes and stuff out the arms and legs and body with paper or something of your choosing. Then create a head and draw your best Guy Fawkes face on there. Think of a scarecrow but Guy Fawkes style.
Here are some pictures of me and my daughter creating our own Guy today...
stuffing the legs with paper
we used an old pillow for the body
The finished Guy in a boiler suit that I had laying around and a leftover birthday balloon as a head
Next step, the guy will then be thrown on a fire tomorrow night whilst we watch the firework's and drink hot chocolate in the garden.
Your head doesn't look like a balloon at all :)