GUY FAWKES’ DAY, celebrated in England on November 5 every year, marks the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, a conspiracy to blow up the English Parliament in 1605. The anniversary was named after Guy Fawkes, the most famous of the conspirators.

It was the year 1605. The reigning monarch of England during that time was King James I, who had ascended the throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth I. The English Catholics, persecuted under the rule of the Queen, had hoped that her successor would be more considerate towards their religion. Unfortunately, James I did not turn out to be more tolerant than his predecessor. As a result, a large group of Catholics, distressed by the King’s intolerance and increased severity of penal laws against the practice of their religion, decided to blow up the House of Parliament. The person put in charge of executing the plot was Guy Fawkes (sometimes known as Guido Fawkes), an associate of the group of English Roman Catholic revolutionaries, who planned to carry out the Gunpowder Plot.

Guy Fawkes was born on April 13, 1570, in Stonegate, Yorkshire. He served for many years as a soldier, gaining considerable expertise with munitions. Although Robert Catesby was the lead figure in cogitating up the actual plot, Fawkes was put in charge of executing the plan for his military and explosives experience.

The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, or the Powder Treason, was a failed attempt to blow up King James I of England, his wife and elder son, much of his court and most of his government. The conspirators planned to detonate gunpowder beneath the Houses of Parliament in London, on November 5, 1605 – the date set for the State opening of the Parliament.

The plot was hatched during the spring of 1604 by Robert Catesby, a Catholic gentleman, along with Fawkes and three other men of gentle birth, means and honour. The purpose was to re-establish Catholicism in England. Gradually, five more gentlemen of noble birth joined them; followed by three richer associates, the thirteenth being Francis Tresham. To carry out their plan, the conspirators hired the cellar under the House of Lords. They got hold of 36 barrels of gunpowder, covered it with faggots of firewood, and accomplished with surprising facility the task of smuggling the gunpowder, firewood and fuse into the cellar. It was concurred that the explosive expert, Guy Fawkes, would set off the fuse in the Parliament on November 5.

The plot was foiled before its intended completion. On October 26, Lord Monteagle received an anonymous warning not to attend the Parliament on November 5. It is generally believed that the thirteenth man – Francis Tresham, caused the detection of the plot, by sending the letter to his cousin, Lord Monteagle. The recipient promptly handed over the letter to Robert Cecil – the Secretary of the State.

At midnight, on November 5, a search was ordered on the precincts of the House. Fawkes, posing as “Mr John Johnson”, and wearing a coat and boots, was suspected of possessing matches. Fawkes was promptly arrested and held captive in the Tower of London, where he was tortured until he revealed the details of the plot, and the names of the fellow conspirators. Within a few days, the other conspirators were either killed or incarcerated. On January 31, Fawkes was executed, after being tried and convicted of treason.

On the very night that the Gunpowder Plot was foiled, the populace of London set alight bonfires, to celebrate the safety of the King, and the defeat of the plot. Similar celebrations must have taken place on the anniversary, and, over the years, it became a tradition. Soon, people began placing effigies of Guy Fawkes on bonfires, and fireworks were added to the celebrations. Effigies of Guy Fawkes, and sometimes those of the Pope, began to grace the pyres. On November 5, people in Great Britain began to celebrate Guy Fawkes’ night as a kind of remembrance.

King James I enacted a law, making the festivities on November 5 an annual event. The day on which the plot was intended to be carried out was designated as a holiday, but, over time, the holiday has also become a celebration of Fawkes’ revolutionary intent. Although the law was revoked in 1859, the tradition continues till date. As years progressed, the ritual became more elaborate. The character of Guy Fawkes became associated with November 5, which is known as Guy Fawkes’ Day, Bonfire Night or Fireworks Night.

The night before Bonfire Night (November 4), is Mischief Night. Groups of children roam the neighbourhood on Mischief Night, playing pranks with no resort, except buying a few sweets for them.

In English tradition, bonfires and fireworks are an integral part of Bonfire Night, which is celebrated across Great Britain, both as a public and a private event. Another custom that has been followed since the initial celebration of Guy Fawkes’ Day till date, is the burning of effigies known as “Guys”. Preparations for Bonfire Night celebrations include making a dummy of Guy Fawkes, which is called “the Guy”. Traditionally, in the weeks leading to November 5, children create their own models of “Guys” from old clothes stuffed with newspapers. They parade in the streets with their “Guy”, or display them in the street corners, outside shops, pubs etc., asking “Penny for the Guy?” from passersby and strangers, and expecting to receive some money to buy fireworks.

In every city, town, village and hamlet across the country, people celebrate Guy Fawkes’ Day by lighting huge bonfires along with thousands of private bonfire parties. Big firework displays are organised in public fields and open areas, usually with huge bonfires, which is why this evening is often called Bonfire Night. Although the night is celebrated in York (Fawkes’ hometown), some there do not burn his effigy. In small communities and villages, everyone will bring some wood to add to the pile. Families make their own models of Guy Fawkes with wood and old clothes. “The Guys” are then thrown onto the bonfire at the height of the celebrations. Families, friends and neighbours assemble, and watch the bonfire, and the children throw their “Guys” and watch them burn. The sky is replete with bursting fireworks, and people sing songs in remembrance of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot.

There are feasts, and sometimes potatoes and chestnuts are roasted in the ashes on the bonfire. In the United Kingdom, there are several foods that are traditionally consumed on Guy Fawkes Night: bonfire toffee and parkin; baked potatoes, which are wrapped in foil and cooked in the bonfire or its embers; toffee apples, and black peas with vinegar.

Another tradition, still in continuance in Britain, is the annual visit of the Monarch to the Parliament every year. Ever since the Gunpowder Plot was foiled, the reigning monarch makes an annual visit to the Parliament solely on one occasion, which is called “the State Opening of Parliament”. Prior to the Opening, and according to custom, the Yeomen of the Guards rummage the cellars of the Palace of Westminster- the site of the Houses of Parliament. Today, the Queen and the Parliament still observe this tradition.

Even today, some communities throw dummies of both Guy Fawkes and the Pope on the bonfire (and even those of a contemporary politician or two), although the gesture is an adherence to the original tradition, rather than a manifestation of hostility towards the Pope.

The tradition of Guy Fawkes’ Day crossed the boundaries of Britain, and established itself in the British colonies during the centuries. The custom was commenced in the British colonies by the early American settlers. In the New England States, it is celebrated as “Pope Day” since the 18th century. Today, the celebration of Guy Fawkes and his failed plot remains a tradition in such places as Canada, and in some areas of New Zealand, and the British Isles.

Despite the nature of the events commemorated, little political or religious conviction is attached to Bonfire Night in modern times. Bonfire Night is now celebrated within the United Kingdom’s Catholic communities, as well as the Protestant ones.

Mrinmoyee Goswami