Why do we celebrate Bonfire Night???

Question

Especially considering it was a failed assassination attempt and could be viewed by some people as terrorism...

Should we stop celebrating this pointless day???

Answer 1

It's about as pointless as any other festival. Burning the Guy originally symbolized something, but now is just part of the fun of a night with fireworks and good food. I think it still means something to kids, so you'll have to offer a reasonable winter night alternative for the firework lovers, at least.

Answer 2

Well there is a reason and it has nothing to do with Guy Fawkes. We just used him as an excuse ;-), the true reason pagans celebrate Bonfire Night is that we're carrying on the tradition of The Scapegoat.

Now we had a old practice of leading a goat (or boar) through the village to take on all the sins and broken taboo's of the village and all the old spiritual crap that we had done over the year and killing it, so appeasing the spirits that were offended. Then the village ate the animal as its life was the price for all the broken taboos and evil deeds.

Now this practice was christianised over the years, so the poor old goat then became the face of the christian boogyman, the devil. He was to blame for all the misfortune and illness and so he should be killed each year. The meat was then burned on a pyre, like the hebrews did with their offerings to Jehovah.

So when we moved into cities and didn't have the agarian spaces to hunt in we then turned to images. The image of the HUMPBACK, THE MOOR, THE BLACK DEVIL were used and burned instead of the animal. Now when the church started to get involved in banning the old practices in the puritan years, this is where the image of Guy Fawkes came in. People could be taken away for worshipping the old gods and having celebrations around the old ways. But for burning a effigy of a traitor to parliament, that didn't cause any offence at all! In fact it was encouraged, to show what happened to people who tried to get in the way of the people speaking their mind and the god given right of all protestants to persecute the catholics!

So this image of Guy replaced the older one, The Scapegoat who took on our evils for the good of all. Traditionally it was done near the winter solstice, the lowest part of the year but as all winter celebrations were banned in the Protecterate Years of Oliver Cromwell we moved it to it's date today.

So in fact what we have is a pagan celebration dressed up in a political suit. Remember that the next time you see a Guy burning on the bonefire, he's taking away your sins and misdemeanors. You used to give a piece of your clothing to stuff the body with if you wanted your house and family blessed by the Scapegoat.

Why the "Penny For The Guy"? The job of making the Guy wasn't one you wanted as it could taint you. All the sins could transfer to you and so it was a kind of "danger money". The person who made it, made a deal with you that all your sins would be passed into the figure. Now you didn't cheat him on his price did you?

With fireworks we integrated the idea from the chinese that we were scaring away the dead spirits and unwanted ghosts from houses and gardens. That the evils burned up would be scared away and discouraged to hide in the area from where they were driven from.

Answer 3

In 1605, Guy Fawkes and some friends tried to blow up James 1 and the Houses of Parliament. He was caught and his gunpowder was found. The celebrations that followed, involved Fawkes being hanged drawn and quartered - a thoroughly revolting punishment - but people were less humane 400 years ago and hangings and beheadings were an excuse for a good night out. Only recently, families made a replica 'Guy' who was thrown on to the bonfire to burn while we let off fireworks. We celebrate the celebration I think.

Answer 4

Because it was convenient. The ancient tradition of samhain was celebrated by lighting bonfires, and it was around the same time as bonfire night - so the government and church decided to combine the two in order to try to stamp on the remaining sparks of the pagan festival. It was also useful to have an annual reminder of what happens to people (especially catholics) who disobey the government, with an annual 'rememberance' of Guy Fawkes.

Nobody's forcing you to celebrate it anyway. Festivals change - Christmas used to be about spending the whole day in church giving thanks for Jesus' birth - Easter and saint's days were much bigger than Christmas, but now it's completely changed, it's all about the presents and spending money, not about the original meaning at all. Does that mean we shouldn't celebrate Christmas either?

Answer 5

Depending on how you look at it, Bonfire Night is either commemorating what would have happened had the houses of parliament gotten blown up... Or celebrating the execution of Guy Fawkes. Quite the blood thirsty celebration if you look at it that way.

We don't celebrate it because it was an assassination attempt/terrorism/treason, we celebrate it because it failed.

Answer 6

In 1605, Guy Fawkes and a group of co-conspirators attempted to blow up King James 1 and the Houses of Parliament, in what has become known as the Gunpowder Plot. Before they were able to carry out their plan they were caught, and subsequently tortured and executed.


I think we should mainly because of the deaths and injury caused,

Answer 7

i think it is to celebrate the failure not the attempt of guy fawkes,but who knows nowdays what some people rather associate it as!

Answer 8

i've never heard of it but anything with a bonfire sounds like fun. just get a case of beer and some marshmallows. make smores and get trashed.

Answer 9

The only reason I can think of is that it is to have a 'pop' at the Catholics.

Answer 10

yes, you all are a bunch of white folks i bet..