Guy Fawkes Night (which could also be called Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night, or Fireworks Night) is a commemorative event that will take place on November 5. It is primarily a British event and has been almost forgotten (or superseded) by other festivals around the same time. The celebration commemorates the day a few Catholics tried to end the ruling British (Protestant) establishment… and failed. Therefore, in Ireland, Guy Fawkes night used to be observed as a joyous day of celebration by only a portion of the population, and these days only a few loyal communities in Northern Ireland are able to host events on the day.
The origins of the Guy Fawkes night
Guy Fawkes Night had its origin in a failed assassination attempt: On November 5, 1605, Guy (or Guido) Fawkes was arrested in the cellars below the House of Lords. Not only was he trespassing, but he was also caught red-handed… keeping a huge cache of gunpowder in barrels. These were placed under the Parliament building to wreak bloody havoc among Protestant ancestry and kill King James I. The aim (albeit exaggerated) of the so-called ‘Gunpowder Plot’ was the reestablishment of a Catholic monarchy in England and Scotland, and the reversal of the reform.
If this had succeeded, even if the plot had succeeded, it is open for discussion. It is more than likely that there would have been a brief period of chaos and anarchy, followed by a crackdown by the establishments against the authors of the plot.
That said, Guy Fawkes himself at least appears to have been a committed Catholic and renowned conspirator, after fighting as a mercenary for Catholic Spain against the Protestants in the Netherlands (he first arrived as part of an Irish army supporting the rebels … who in defeat made a spectacular turn and joined the Spanish), tried to get Spanish help for a reestablishment of Catholic rule in English. This was not too successful, but Fawkes cultivated friends in high places …
which led him to become involved in the Gunpowder Plot.
After his arrest, Fawkes was questioned and (perhaps in a self-glorifying escape) freely admitted to plotting the massacre. Basically inviting a quick run. This, however, did not work out as planned: he was only tortured later, in an attempt to get him to give up the names of the conspirators. Pleading “not guilty” at the subsequent treason trial (in his own eyes, Fawkes had done nothing wrong after all), he was (much to the surprise and appreciation of the public) found guilty and sentenced to a prolonged death.
Maintained as the “star attraction” of the hanging, drawing and quartered public on January 31, 1606, Fawkes witnessed the horrific deaths of his fellow conspirators. And then, in a final, inspired display of defiance, he managed to fool the executioner by throwing himself off the high scaffold and breaking his neck.
By the way… there is a theory that the conspiracy was actually a false flag operation and that Guy Fawkes was framed.
Guy Fawkes Night Through the Ages
To celebrate the fact that King James I had survived this nefarious attempt on his life (as the official propaganda stated, Guy Fawkes was arrested around midnight and the primitive IED was actually safe several hours before James arrived for the opening of Parliament scheduled for 5 November), spontaneous bonfires were lit around London. A short time later, a “November 5 Observance Act” was passed, turning the day into an annual Thanksgiving celebration.
Faced with religious and dynastic insecurity over the next several decades, the British public seized the “Gunpowder Betrayal Day” like a duck overboard. Labeled as a day of celebration, thanksgiving, and some fun, it soon took on strong religious overtones. As a focus for anti-Catholic sentiment, the annual celebrations worked wonders. Puritan ministers especially delivered fiery sermons on the dangers of the “papacy” (often exaggerated beyond all reality, but apparently not beyond belief), whipping their flocks into a sectarian frenzy.
Which continued outside the church: Rebellious crowds not only lit celebratory bonfires, but also used them to burn the Pope or Guy Fawkes in effigy (effigies were sometimes filled with living cats for better sound effects).
Around the time of the Regency (1811 to 1820) it had become common in some areas for children to prepare an effigy of Guy Fawkes long before the event, take it out onto the streets and use it as a support for begging, hence ‘ A penny for the boy? It had also become quite common for old scores to be resolved on Bonfire Night, with riots and fights not unheard of.
In the mid-19th century, attitudes changed markedly and the November 5 Observance Act was repealed in 1859, extremists and anti-Catholic protesters clashed, and the celebration was transformed into a family event at the turn of the century. During the 20th century it was still observed, but today it has been almost overshadowed by the transatlantic import of Halloween.
Guy Fawkes Night in Ireland
The Gunpowder Plot focused primarily on England and Scotland; both Wales and Ireland were mere sideshows to the events there, and Ireland especially was busy pursuing her own agenda most of the time. But British settlers carried the Guy Fawkes Night tradition everywhere, especially to the American colonies and to Ireland, especially to the northern plantations. In North America it became known as “Pope’s Day” and was losing popularity in the 18th century (after all, the revolutionary fervor somehow collided with the celebration of the survival of a British king).
In Ireland it was observed mainly, almost exclusively, in Protestant communities and soon became another bone of sectarian contention.
These days Guy Fawkes night is almost entirely forgotten, even in Northern Ireland where many revelers will be exhausted for the Halloween season anyway (theories that Guy Fawkes night was a conscious Protestant replacement for Samhain are not very convincing).
Bonfire nights in Ireland
Ireland retains two important “Bonfire Nights” to this day: one is the eve of July 12 (anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, therefore only celebrated in loyal communities). This bears many similarities to Guy Fawkes night when vitrolic anti-Catholicism is celebrated and the pope can be burned in effigy (along with politicians like Gerry Adams). The other “Bonfire Night” is celebrated mainly in Catholic areas on the eve of San Juan (June 23).
In recent years, bonfires have also been set up and lit on Halloween. Most of these bonfires tend to be a health and safety hazard, which is why local councils go to great lengths to prevent them from being lit. Which, in turn, makes them a point of contention due to the festivities that are interrupted by the arrival of firefighters, and often the focus of non-social behavior.
