Remember, remember the fifth of November,
gunpowder treason and plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.......
As in Britain, Guy Fawkes Night is ‘celebrated’ in New Zealand with bonfires and fireworks in most towns and cities. (details for those not familiar with Guy Fawkes later). We missed the big event in Taupo so we decided to go the the community event in Kinloch (where we will be building our home). Kinloch is a small town/village with only 450 full time inhabitants. We say ‘full time’ because 85% of the houses are holiday homes and the population can reach 2500 at the peak of the summer holidays.
The Kinloch Volunteer Fire Department were running the show; they had built the bonfire and people handed over their fireworks to them to set off safely…It seemed like most of the Kinloch residents turned up with their kids who enjoyed the whole thing immensely. What child doesn’t enjoy a good fire and a chance to see lots of fireworks up close and personal?
People set out rugs and chairs and settled in to enjoy beers, wines and chatting to their neighbours. Children kicked rugby balls around with the fire crew as everyone waited until it was dark enough to light the fire.
The tradition of making effigies of Guy Fawkes was upheld by the local children and judged by the fire department (although to my eye they looked pretty poor!), the fire was lit and we all waited for the fireworks to be set off. This lad will probably end up an arsonist or a fireman…or both!
The fire crew took their duties seriously and seemed to have a great time setting fireworks off as quickly as possible – up close and personal!
Nerd Notes: Guy Fawkes was a Catholic who was involved in a conspiracy in 1605 to blow up the House of Lords and with it kill King Charles I the Protestant monarch and thus return Britain to the Catholic faith. Fawkes had packed gunpowder into the cellars of the Parliament building in preparation but somebody had sent an anonymous letter warning the authorities to search the cellars. On the night of 5th November Fawkes was caught. He was tortured and sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered. He fell off the scaffold and broke his neck before they could carry out the sentence. The 5th of November commemorated the failure of this plot by burning effigies of Fawkes on bonfires, the fireworks representing the gunpowder.