To celebrate or not to celebrate Guy Fawkes 5th Nov...

 Guy Fawkes celebrations have been a part of my life since I was very little. I remember buying fireworks a couple of weeks before the date at the local Chinese fruit shop and then letting it off up until the date of the 5th of November. At that time I didn't know what or why we were celebrating it but it was a fun time for the family.

Things changed in my last year of high school when I studied England's history around 1500s - 1700s period and found out that in actual fact Guy Fawkes was a man who was burned at the stake for treason in being a part of the 'gunpowder plot' to blow up the then British Parliament with King James who was the monarch at the time. Guy Fawkes was caught before it was to happen (someone snitched?) and that was the beginning of his demise.

Since then in England and other British colonies, continue to celebrate the day (historically because of the plans to blow up Parliament/House of Lords were thwarted) and by using fireworks it's in remembrance of what they attempted to do but were unsuccessful so now the reason behind the day has long been forgotten by many or unknown by most.

Nowadays in NZ, there is only a window of a few days in which people are able to buy and let off fireworks and one needs to be over 18 years to buy them. There are also petitions to stop the sale of fireworks altogether because of people or animals being accidently or purposely maimed.

It is definitely something to consider in now being informed about the history of this event but it is also now very much along the lines of Halloween celebrations in that retail outlets tote the day as a family friendly celebration without the historical connotations...