The Conversation (0)
Daisy Maldonado
Nov 05, 2021
Guy Fawkes Night firework celebration
Getty Images/iStockphoto
It’s that time of the year where British people gather in crowds to light up the sky with hundreds of fireworks and cheerfully burn effigies of a single man all night long.
And if you don’t know what we’re talking about, you must not be British.
Allow us to explain: November 5th is Guy Fawkes Night (also known as Bonfire Night). The UK Holiday dates back to 1605 when a group of Roman Catholic activists arranged "the Gunpowder Plot", an attempt to assassinate the Protestant King James I.
Guy Fawkes plotted to assassinate the king and blow up the Palace of Westminster by smuggling 36 barrels under the House of Lords into a cellar. However, he was caught thanks to an anonymous letter and sent to the Tower of London where he was tortured and subsequently executed in January 1606 for high treason.
In short: Guy Fawkes’ failure to blow up Parliament is celebrated every year by the Brits and has become a national holiday. It’s a holiday that’s uniquely celebrated by the Brits and the Brits alone, which makes explaining the night’s event to people around the world quite difficult.
In honor of the upcoming holiday, we gathered 10 of our favorite posts about Guy Fawkes night that proves just how confusing the date is to the rest of the world.
On how it compares to other countries’ important events
Americans: the fourth of July when we declared independence from Great Britain the French: bastille day when common… https://t.co/9hbuYtGCMc— Nilesh (@Nilesh) 1626276103
@oreugene they made v for vendetta into a real thing, that’s crazy #fyp #foryou #history #historymemes #thanksgiving
On V for Vendetta’s impact
not americans thinking nov 5 is for v for vendetta and not that it’s an actual thing......— scott ⧗ (@scott ⧗) 1604586296
Two days until Americans Think It’s A V For Vendetta Reference Day— Resting Bitch (@Resting Bitch) 1541276092
On wearing Guy Fawkes masks
Do Americans think Brits stand in their thousands on the streets of Westminster in Guy Fawkes masks tonight? I'm in bed. Sorry to disappoint— Josh Draws (@Josh Draws) 1352142434
Americans think we wear a Guy Fawkes mask on Bonfire Night. Do we? I thought we just burned the lad and threw rocke… https://t.co/odhxO8CmRy— Emily Baker (@Emily Baker) 1594765820
Americans thinking the fireworks were in honor of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential win
Americans: How nice of the British to set off fireworks to celebrate Joe Biden's victory. British: Erm yeah, of c… https://t.co/rauZNTap7H— Patrick Christie (@Patrick Christie) 1604868406
American news outlets claiming British Guy Fawkes Night firework displays as a celebration for Biden is so embarrassing.— Telvanni Hortator 🇬🇧 (@Telvanni Hortator 🇬🇧) 1604870068
Being viewed as the British version of Thanksgiving
Today I found out that my lovely American colleagues thought the British version of Thanksgiving was Guy Fawkes / B… https://t.co/zdTftsNzrK— Charis (@Charis) 1606773601
On celebrating failure
For my non-UK friends who are wondering what the fuck I'm on about, November 5th is "Guy Fawkes Night" or "Bonfire… https://t.co/iO1Reh9qEZ— Steven Caulfield (@Steven Caulfield) 1635787472
On kids burning a dummy
the whole idea of guy fawkes night is really funny to me why do we throw a party for the dude who tried to blow up… https://t.co/jZjMolgMja— FREY 🅴 (@FREY 🅴) 1610731837
I just remembered how ruthless the British are when it comes to Guy Fawkes. They don’t even call it that, it’s bonf… https://t.co/XucQvQkw9k— katherine diamond: exhausted elder millenial (@katherine diamond: exhausted elder millenial) 1634324036
On holding grudges
In comparison to July 4th in America
Americans celebrate beating the British with fireworks The British celebrate trying to defeat the British with fireworks— ZonksTheAlien👽🛸 (@ZonksTheAlien👽🛸) 1593969826
The difference in how the U.S. Capitol Riots are viewed
British people today: isn’t it awful that those people stormed Capitol Hill? They must be punished! British people… https://t.co/kewolef05a— karen wilson (@karen wilson) 1610008715
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