Happy Guy Fawkes Day and Bonfire Night...
As a child in New Zealand this was a great day and evening for the kids...
Every school child knew the story and learned it as history in school...
We would compete with kids from other areas of town to make the biggest bonfire...
Starting sometime in October, or even September LOL we would collect old tires, broom, a local big strong shrub/weed and old scrap lumber...
The big boys would make a teepee frame arrangement of 3 long saplings and then help us fill in the rest...
Add a “Guy” made of old clothes like a scarecrow and stuffed with straw and paper and twigs, an old sack for a head complete with drawn on face etc, and an old hat...His clothes and head were connected with 4 Penny nails (the big ones)and his feet woould be covered with a Dad’s old boots..
On the night of Nov 5 the whole street area would be down at the bonfire to watch the fire, every Dad, Mum and childfire off fireworks bouight at Jimmy On Lee’s greengrocery store, drink cocoa and play with sparklers and run up and down the street with Roman candles..
Catherine Wheels, and Jumping Jacks were popular and sky rockets were a wonder...and beautiful streams of colour lit the night...
This was our only night of fireworks for the year so we usually saved our pennies and had a lot...
I’ve been in the US 36 years but I still miss this great night every year...
Times have changed.
The socialist busy bodies who now govern New Zealand take a dim view of your festivities and a total ban on fireworks is being talked about by Prime Minister Helen Clark.
It wouldn't surprise me if the same situation eventually came to pass in the UK, also. The socialists who govern there seem to be intent on micromanaging peoples' lives and if BBC reports are to be believed, "Bonfire Night", (as it's known over there), is a busy time for the fire service.
As the religious roots of the festival are long forgotten and making whoopee with fire is now its main raison d'etre, I doubt it will be too long before the nanny state cans it.
Tragically, its a custom that is dying out in the UK.