Today, in the UK, we commemorate James I’s lucky escape after Guy Fawkes was caught red-handed with rather a lot of gunpowder in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament on the night of the 4th/5th November 1605.
We are not just celebrating James’s lucky escape, we are also, as the poem goes, remembering the serious nature of the crime, treason:-
“Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli’ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England’s overthrow;
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King (or Queen)!”
You can read more about Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot in the following articles:-
Related posts:
Remember Remember the 5th November!
The Gunpowder Plot
Baptism of Guy Fawkes – 16 April 1570
Robert Catesby
Birth of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex – 10 November 1565
17th November 1558 – Elizabeth I Becomes Queen
30 November 1601 – Elizabeth I’s Golden Speech
30th November 1554 – The Return to Rome
18th November 1559 – Death of Cuthbert Tunstall, Bishop of Durham
What do you think Claire about, yet another conspiracy theory, that Guy Fawkes and his pals were set up by a protestant faction to deal another blow to the much despised Catholic sectors of the population?, read little bits about ages ago, just wondered if you have come across anything and what your thoughts are about it
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I would like to add that both your sites get better and better as time goes by, and when I get to sit in an evening after the daily grind, I find coming on to the sites relaxes me as much as a good glass of wine, lol. Well done, how you fit it all in with a family to tend as well is commendable… Well done 🙂
Some parts of Canada celebrate too. IIRC Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
We have our own private fireworks party in Quebec. And try to convert our neighbours…. LOL
Just heard some M.P. wants to put up a plaque to celebrate. Talk about incitement to religious hatred.
He doesn’t want to celebrate it, he wants “a proper memorial for the time in history we saved our democracy from terrorism”, that’s a big difference and I don’t see it as inciting religious hatred just as I don’t see marking Armistice Day or 9/11 incites racism, religious hatred or xenophobia. We should remember these moments in history.