London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Remember, remember, the fifth of November! Have we forgotten the true meaning behind Guy Fawkes festivities?

Guy Fawkes was famously hanged, drawn and quartered with other surviving Catholic traitors opposite Westminster. Hundreds of lives were saved and the date remembered ever since, but do we know the true story of the celebrations?

On November 5 every year, millions of British families and friends flock to firework displays in parks and recreation grounds. We attend crackling bonfires, eat sugary red toffee apples (that stick to our teeth), and write names with hand-held sparklers in the cold autumnal air. Familiar? Or perhaps many of us have forgotten the history surrounding one of the most celebrated annual events in the calendar. The reason of course… is Guy Fawkes, and it’s here where school history lessons might help.

Guy Fawkes was a famous failed terrorist who was born in York, England. In the year 1605, along with 13 other men, he tried to blow up parliament, aiming to kill Protestant King James I and his Protestant government. Some 36 barrels of gunpowder were gathered under the House of Lords but the group were unsuccessful and the plot was foiled. But let’s hold the story there.

Some see Guy Fawkes in a much different light… Despite it being a crime to be a Catholic during Elizabeth I’s reign, Fawkes converted to Catholicism when he was a teenager – and it’s here where the real story begins. It’s been 400 years since the foiled plot and, centuries later, Brits burn effigies of the failed terrorist on blazing bonfires – but do lovers of such festivities really know the reality of Fawkes treason and anti-government rebellion? Perhaps it is lost in a Disney-type fairy tale.

Despite it being an event rooted in remembrance and a potential disaster, perhaps most will enjoy tonight’s annual ritual and think that it is more about sticky toffee apples and exploding rockets than an insight into monarchical religious turmoil and a date steeped in British history. Maybe it’s time to go back to school.

As we celebrate someone’s failure and failed mass murder pact in such a glorious way, it seems the original message is lost, as the character of Fawkes transforms from a religious extremist to an anti-elitist underdog. As centuries pass and childhood school lessons fade away, we are in danger of historical shifts. By turning people into celebrated icons in history, we run the risk of morphing them into someone they weren’t. It’s feasible that 17th century politics aren’t so cool.


But how we remember the famous Guy Fawkes today is a fascinating look into how we view historical events from centuries ago. Over time, facts can soon become fiction when society blurs lines and culture becomes twisted like an innocent game of Chinese whispers.This was a political event in 1605 involving religious and social division. Now, 400 years later in divided “Brexit Britain,” it seems we might not have progressed too much further. Perhaps blowing up Boris Johnston and Jeremy Corbyn, among 650 members of parliament, might be too extreme, but the quest to wipe out the ruling elite still continues today. Weekly protests outside parliament prove that.

Has society moved on? In the 17th century, Catholics were persecuted and barred from owning land or voting. Because of this, Guy Fawkes aimed to destroy parliament with the aim of producing a dramatic political shift, installing a new Catholic monarch and ending Protestant rule. Today, we still have religious extremists with similar dogmatic mantras – to impose their beliefs on others. When it comes to the good old Conservative and Labour parties, perhaps gunpowder will be the only option? (I tease) We might have more equality, but millions of us still want change.

So, if you are attending a bonfire or firework party tonight, let’s agree that it’s not just all about the past, Mr Fawkes and a historical rebellion, but an ongoing fight and social message that we are just as divided 400 years later.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×