I know of some people who celebrate Guy Fawkes Day here in the USA. They’re not British. They just want to have an excuse to have a bonfire and a party when the weather gets cool.
How widespread is this over here, I wonder.
Never ever heard of it. But then again I grew up in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood. I would guess that English Catholics lie low during Guy Fawkes Day back home.
I’ve never known anyone to celebrate it in the US, but it wouldn’t be surprising. I know a lot of people who jump at any excuse for bonfires, fireworks, and parties. They just don’t know about Guy Fawkes Day. Maybe I should mention it to them…
Not at all. Based on personal experience there are roughly three categories of Catholics on Bonfire Night:
- Those who just enjoy the fire and fireworks but don’t burn an effigy (e.g. my family when I was a kid).
- Those who enjoy the fire and fireworks and choose some other hate figure to burn an effigy of (e.g. me now).
- Those who don’t know the story well enough to realise what Fawkes’s religion was (not many of them I’d hope, but frankly most non-Catholics don’t see Bonfire Night as any kind of anti-Catholic festival either).
I’ve been to plenty of 4th of July parties in this country where there were no Americans for miles around to concur with the “any excuse for a party will do” philosophy. Cf St. Patrick’s Day.
When is Guy Fawkes Day anyways?
Remember, remember the 5th of November.
Gunpowder treason and plot.
I see no reason that gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Hope that helps.
I don’t think I know many people who actually know what Guy Fawkes Day is. Heck, my sister in law didn’t even know about Groundhogs day until last year.
If you really need an excuse to have a bonfire or to get drunk, then you’re not trying hard enough.
Umm… I know how it originated, but that doesn’t mean I see it as anything other than a fun tradition. I assumed everyone else was the same way. We should export it. It’s fun. Remember the mulled wine.
Surprising as it may be given its history, England has actually done a pretty good job of ridding its culture of anti-Catholicism (the disgraceful continued existence of the Act of Settlement notwithstanding, of course). Much better than some of its nearest neighbours have, anyway.
Yes, with the notable exception of the good people of Lewes in Sussex, who burn an effigy of the Pope as well as Guy Fawkes every November 5th. I’ll have to pay them a visit one year.
In fairness, other effigies they’ve burnt include George W Bush, the Queen and Winnie-the-Pooh so they’re fairly eclectic in their bigotry.
I think I was out of college before I’d even heard of Guy Fawkes. I’m still really hazy on the whole point. And I’m one of the geeky-stuff-knowingest people I know.
Look, most of my friends here in the States don’t quite get Boxing Day. The only one who knew about Guy Fawkes Day was a Dr. Who fan who’d been born on it. Even I wasn’t that aware of it growing up, and I was 2 1/2 when the folks moved here from England. I do have a particular, fond reason to remember it – it was on Guy Fawkes Day that I got (and gave!) my first real kiss. Fireworks indeed! 
CJ
the big diff between Guy Fawkes day and 4th of July is that on Guy Fawkes, it’s just too damn cold and rainy to have a good time.
Intelligent people in intelligent countries plan their holidays for pleasant weather, so folks can enjoy them.
Memorial Day ,Independence Day, Labor Day–them’s good days to have a picnic. Thanksgiving-- November’s okay, 'cause it’s an INDOOR holiday
But Guy Fawkes—brrrr…
Besides, how can you take seriously a country where people celebrate a holiday called Boxing Day and don’t know why…
But speaking as a Brit, that’s the point! How can you really appreciate a blazing bonfire (and accompanying jacket potatoes, etc.) and fireworks on a warm night??
Julie
I used to have a nive badge (OOK - button if you eally must 
) saying “Guy Fawkes - the only man to enter parliament with honest intentions.”
Being brought up as a Catholic in England, we’ve always had a fireworks party on Guy Fawkes night, together with neighbours of any religeous denomination.
It’s always just a fun night, with the adults enjoying the party and the kids marvelling at the displays.
Religeon never really comes into it.
And I never could spell “religion”
Exactly. As a Brit I got confused here the first time I saw a Valborg bonfire.
I mean, it was an early evening bonfire on April 30th. It was still bloody light. It was warm. Everyone went hom ebefore sunset.
What was the bloody point?
I learned about it first from ‘V for Vendetta’ in which a latter day Fawkes actually pulls it off.
But I’ve no clue what ‘Boxing Day’ is.
Boxing Day is a nickname for St Stephen’s Day, December 26.
In ancient times, that was the day when Christmas presents were given – not Christmas Day itself, when you were expected to go to church and pray to celebrate the birth of Christ. There were boxes in church, called Christmas Boxes, into which you could donate alms during the Christmas Day services and the clergy would distrubute the money to the poor of the parish the next day.