mental_floss magazine
SUBSCRIBE >
GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS >
DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS >
subscriber services >
I guess with all of the election stuff going on here in the States, we here at the _floss completely overlooked that yesterday was Guy Fawkes Day. While it may not be a huge celebration (or even a celebration at all) in the U.S., it’s quite a big deal in Great Britain. It’s also observed in certain parts of Canada, South Africa, the Caribbean and New Zealand). So, in at attempt to make it up to the late Mr. Fawkes, I thought we’d honor him (I suppose “honor” him would be more appropriate) with the Q10 today.
1. First of all – why does Guy Fawkes deserve his own holiday? Well, in 1605, he was in charge of carrying out the Gunpowder Plot: he and his group of men conspired to kill the King, his family, and lots of other important people by blowing up the House of Lords. The plot was foiled. It’s my understanding (I know you guys will correct me if I’m wrong) that the festivities are basically a mockery of Guy Fawkes and a celebration that the King was safe. Although there are certain factions of people who celebrate Fawkes himself, I’m sure.
2. In order to blow up the House of Lords while Parliament was meeting (thus taking out the most number of people possible), Guy Fawkes and his group hid more than 1,800 pounds of gunpowder underneath the building in the cellar. They hid it beneath various scraps of wood and iron.
3. Legend has it that the plan was foiled at the very last possible second – Guy Fawkes himself was just about to touch his torch to the gunpowder (he had made it quite clear that he didn’t mind blowing himself up as well as the House of Lords) when magistrate Peter Heywood grabbed the torch.
4. Fawkes was severely tortured for his actions. At first he refused to give his name, insisting that he went by “John Johnson.” The King instructed that the torture should get increasingly worse the longer Fawkes held out. It took four days before Fawkes admitted anything, and that was only after he found out his friends had already been captured.
5. Fawkes and his co-conspirators were ultimately all hanged, drawn and quartered for their crimes.
6. Anarchists love this guy: a famous poster in the mid-20th century declared that Guy Fawkes was “The only man ever to enter Parliament with honest intentions.” But the phrase has been around for a long time – probably since the day after he was captured.
7. He’s also very popular in literature. J.K. Rowling named Dumbledore’s phoenix after him and he is referenced in everything from Jane Eyre and David Copperfield to Fahrenheit 451 and V for Vendetta. The masks, specifically, are based on him.
8. Traditional food eaten on Guy Fawkes night include bonfire toffee, toffee apples, baked potatoes and black peas with vinegar. I get the bonfire toff and the baked potatoes, but black peas and toffee apples are beyond my comprehension. I bet one of you _flossy readers knows, though.
9. There are all kinds of rhymes and songs and poems based on Mr. Fawkes. I really like this one:
Guy guy guy
Poke him in the eye,
Put him on the bonfire,
And there let him die.
It’s the perfect rhyme for school children, don’t you think? But it goes well with our final fact:
10. It’s not uncommon for people to burn effigies of Guy Fawkes in giant bonfires. It used to be much more widely practiced, however. Kids also get to collect pennies for “the guy” – for his eyes, I presume?? It’s kind of like trick-or-treating for UNICEF, except the kids get to keep the money.
So, happy belated Guy Fawkes Day. if you celebrated, leave us a comment and let us know what traditions you followed.
Comments (16)
Comment
- Follow mental_floss
I could be wrong on this (i usually am!) but i thought that the reason that the kids would go around asking for a “penny for the Guy” was so that they would have money to buy the supplies to make their very own Guy Fawkes…which they could then throw on a bonfire and burn
Sounds like a fun holiday if you ask me!
posted by Christine on 11-6-2008 at 3:55 pm
The word “guy” originated from Guy Fawkes, as in “Hey you guys!”
posted by Dustin Greenleaf on 11-6-2008 at 4:40 pm
I’m British, and to me, bonfire night is a really lovely tradition. I can see that it seems odd to burn an effigy of someone, but this is not so much of a celebration of his death, but the rememberance of a legendary event (even to us who, like Guy Fawkes, believe the UK should be a republic). This is a tradition that has survived 400 years without a corruption of meaning.
It’s a family time – you wrap up lovely and warm, and you gather round the bonfire, eat baked potatoes and other warm foods, and then watch fireworks. This is the night of the year we have firework displays in Britain, unlike elsewhere.
I’m going to a bonfire and fireworks display this Saturday night. I’m in London, and this past week and coming weekend, I could have gone to several dozen firework displays. Guy Fawkes night is still a much loved event.
The most important and best known poem about Fawkes, that everyone in the UK knows, is:
‘Remember remember
the 5th of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot,
I see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot’.
posted by Kat on 11-6-2008 at 5:19 pm
Remember, Remember the 5th of November!
I was wondering what happened when there was little/no mention of the day yesterday…
posted by Val on 11-6-2008 at 5:23 pm
It’s Bonfire Night, nobody over here calls it Guy Fawkes Day (to my knowledge anyway).
I always thought toffee apples were for Halloween but since the days are so close I guess they could be for either. You can get them in all supermarkets around this time. They’re lovely, I suggest you try it (but they’re very sticky)!
posted by Nikki on 11-6-2008 at 5:53 pm
There was historically a strong anti-Catholic aspect to the November 5 cerlebrations – which by the way were observed in colonial America, notably in Boston.
posted by Mr Punch on 11-6-2008 at 11:08 pm
I’m an American living in England and this is one tradition I’ve embraced. It’s so wonderful to get bundled up and go to your nearest field (because bonfires are in just about every village)to see the biggest fire you’ve ever seen. This year my village’s fire was easily taller than a one story building and larger than the bottom floor of my house. Needless to say it kept us warm from the constant drizzle and cold.
posted by Tricia on 11-7-2008 at 3:09 am
For those who’d like to try Toffee Apples: Make some sticky toffee in your usual way, but while it is still liquid in the pan take an apple and stick it onto a skewer (traditionally we use an iced lolly stick) so that you have an apple with a ‘handle’ to hold it by. Best if you put the stick into the bottom of the apple. Dip the apple into the toffee, coat it then place on foil with the stick pointing upwards until the toffee is set. Repeat with more apples. Finally, give them to your kids to eat while celebrating by your bonfire on a cold November evening
posted by Alan on 11-7-2008 at 4:08 am
Re: Toffee appleas. I used to love these as a kid- well, I used to love the sticky coating and leave the apple!All it is, is an apple stuck on a stick, and coated in a “toffee”. I say “toffee” because for some reason it’s a red colour- it’s more of a caramalised sugar coating. Very messy to eat even thou it’s on the stick!
posted by Blaise on 11-7-2008 at 4:19 am
“(I suppose “honor” him would be more appropriate)”
Did you mean “honour”?
posted by Bran on 11-7-2008 at 9:24 am
The references in the V for Vendetta graphic novel pretty much assume you already know the story of Guy Fawkes, which I did not. It wasn’t until I saw the movie adaption, where they had a short sequence on Guy Fawkes, that I looked him up and realized what the comic was referring to.
posted by Chad Cloman on 11-7-2008 at 11:24 am
Now now, lets be careful not to equate toffee apples with candy apples.
posted by Mike D on 11-7-2008 at 12:58 pm
I went to a Guy Fawkes day party on Wed. night. It was great fun! My 8 year old especially enjoyed burning Guy in effigy. :o)
posted by Kirsten on 11-7-2008 at 2:40 pm
I “celebrated” by watching V for Vendetta. Not much else I could do, since I don’t have a Guy Fawkes mask to burn, and place to burn it. But I did my best.
posted by Alicia on 11-7-2008 at 4:28 pm
I am pretty sure that he was tattled on by a co-conspirator but that wasn’t mentioned.
posted by Sarah on 1-17-2009 at 1:17 am
Nice post. Think it is worth mentioning that Guy’s motivations, and much of the spirit behind the celebration, were rooted in the Catholic-Protestant antipathy in England at the time.
As far as I’m aware however this is completely absent from today’s celebrations, which is largely an excuse for a party :)
posted by Luke on 7-25-2009 at 4:54 pm