Wednesday 5 November 2008

My Favourite Night Of the Year


It's Bonfire Night! The most exciting night of the year - in my opinion anyway. Although there are lots of organised firework displays around, we always have fireworks in our own back garden on the actual night, Nov 5th.
For those outside the UK I should explain that Nov 5th in is a weird sort of evening, in theory commemorating the "bringing to justice" of a man called Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. I say in theory, because if I thought too hard about what it was actually about, I might have to stop celebrating it! Most people, including me, do it now for the fireworks, toffee and fun! Traditions are funny things.
Some people make a "guy", an effigy of a man, to put on their bonfire and burn on the evening. I can remember making one as a kid, with my local brownie pack, to put on the brownies' bonfire :-S
Guy Fawkes was born in York, so I wonder if the "guy" tradition flourished even here? In Leeds down the road where I was brought up, it certainly did. Over the next few days I'm going to do a Guy Fawkes / Bonfire Night series, and perhaps see what I can find out about him locally.
(Today's photo was taken at a display I attended last year, and the mosaic was put together using the free tool mosaic maker over at a site I rather like - BigHugeLabs, in case you're interested.)

12 comments:

JollyGreenP said...

Hi Ruby,
it is said that St. Peter's School will not burn a guy on their bonfires as they do not burn old boys of the school. Guy Fawkes attended the school.

Christina S said...

Hi JGP, thanks for the info. I didn't know St Peter's was his school, although I have spied his birthplace as I've been going about town!

Nathalie H.D. said...

I'd heard of this tradition before but had forgotten about it and had no idea how popular it was. Your photo collage is wonderful!

Nathalie H.D. said...

Your story yesterday was hilarious BTW.

Have you been swearing??? LOL

Tanya Breese said...

A great collage Ruby!

lunarossa said...

Love your collage, Ruby, but I do not like bonfire night. I've found this "burning the guy" story a bit gruesome. Like fireworks but not the noise. Just found out there is another York Blog, wow!
Enjoy tonight. Miserable weather though. Ciao. Antonella

Picklesmum said...

Sorry Ruby, not a fan of fireworks. They scare my animals. Big displays are ok (ish) but why sell them to any Muppet who wants to buy an explosive?
Nice photo though :)

marley said...

I like your shots (much better than my failed attepmt!) I look forward to finding out about GUY fawkes as I don't know anything about him, the whole York thing is news to me!

Re the election - YAY!

Anonymous said...

I love fireworks. We went to a bonfire party last night, and the fireworks were amazing. They went into shapes in the sky - bells, spirals, squares and so on. I wish I'd had my camera with me.

Gerald (SK14) said...

Absolutely they shouldn't burn Guy Fawkes in York - for one he was a scapegoat for others who were behind the plot - for two he didn't have enough gunpowder to effectively blow up much - I'll stop there otherwise I'll go on for ages.

I was quite miffed to discover yesterday that you'd dumped the archives of your Bury blog.

Still love ya anyway.

Christina S said...

Gerald, yep, sorry about the Bury blog flattening thing. I'm having a bit of a rip it up and start again drive on life in general at the moment. There was lots about that blog I didn't like and it was written during what was a difficult time for me in many ways. I just wanted it gone.

However, I'm in the process of posting my photos of Bury though, day by day, as I have loads and loads taken over the last few years, which are a record of a period in the life of the town I suppose.

yournotalone said...

It was crazy in Nottingham, a bit scary to be honest - the smell, the sound and many flashes... were a bit like from war... film:)