Sunday 3 November 2013

Fireworks

"Remember, rememeber the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot
I see no reason why gunpowder and treason
Should ever be forgot"

Did you know...

...until the Nineteenth Century (1859) 5th November was a national day of thanksgiving enshrined by Act of Parliament
...the effigy originally burned on the bonfires was the Pope, or less commonly the devil
...the sentiment of 5th November was until recently fervently ensnared with religious bias
...the hapless Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators were attempting to blow-up Protestant monarch James I and replace him with a Catholic monarch (see above)
...even the Puritans (who generally banned fun) didn't abolish 5th November
...the phrase "Fireworks Night" only became common in the first half of the Twentieth Century, most likely thanks to purveyors of pyrotechnics...
...by law fireworks in the UK may not be discharged between 11pm and 7am with the exception of New Year's Eve, 5th November (not the nearest Saturday to it), Diwali (today) and Chinese New Year (cut off 1am)...

...did you know any of that. If I had my way there would be only public fireworks displays. Failing that all purchasers of pyrotechnics should be required to answer correctly the above questions. Failure so to do, no fireworks and a cessation of the annual (quite literal) money up in smoke that is Bonfire Night.

Yes, bah and humbug.

Incidentally I have always hated fireworks and bonfires... even as a child.