Remember, remember the Fifth of November. On November 5, 1605, a terrorist named Guy “Guido” Fawkes had a plan. He was going to assassinate England’s Protestant king, James I, by burning down parliament using 36 barrels of highly explosive gunpowder. An anonymous tipster tipped off a member of the House of Lords, a search was made of the Parliament building, and the plot was busted. To honor Guy Fawkes and his failed conspiracy, November 5 is Guy Fawkes Day in England, which means celebration!
Like all holidays, Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated in the most ironic way possible: by blowing up fireworks to commemorate the explosion that wasn’t. Kind of like how the Fourth of July features fireworks to honor catastrophic, bloody, and explosion-filled wars. Also, it’s Diwali, an important holiday for British Indians, so that means there’ll be extra explosions (Diwali is also celebrated with fireworks).
Tags: holidays, unusual holidays, unusual celebrations, November 5, Guy Fawkes Day, The Gunpowder Plot, Remember Remember the Fifth of November, British holidays, 1605, English holidays, fireworks