Meet Guy, Guy Fawkes...(think James, James Bond).
Like James Bond, Guy Fawkes was a man of mystery caught up in a complicated political plot. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have the same talent (or high-tech gadgets) as 007 for getting out of tight spots. He was caught red-handed trying to blow up Parliament back on November 5, 1605 (known as the Gunpowder Plot).Now every year on November 5th, Britains celebrate the death of this foiled terrorist by building a huge bonfire where they burn an effigy of the poor Guy...
Kind of creepy...Luckily for the rest of us, this morbid reenactment is also accompanied by a big fireworks show...I guess to commemorate all of the explosives that DIDN'T go off...?
Also, useless trivia for the day: Guy Fawkes is where we get the word "guy." Originally, people would sell shabbily dressed effigies (or dolls) of Mr. Fawkes for the bonfire celebration. Eventually, a "guy" became the term for someone who was raggedly dressed or disheveled. In the 1800s the negative connotation was dropped and any average Joe could be called "guy."
2 comments:
That's awesome! Nothing like fireworks to celebrate a building not blowing up.
That IS kinda creepy!
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