Happy Guy Fawkes Day!
Remember, remember the 5h of November, The Gunpowder Treason and Plot
Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent
To blow up the King and Parliament.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England’s overthrow;
By God’s providence he was catch’d (or by God’s mercy)
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring. (Holla)
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the Queen!
Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason, why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Remember, remember, the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot!
A stick or a stake for King James’ sake
Will you please to give us a fagot
If you can’t give us one, we’ll take two;
The better for us and the worse for you!
Guy, guy, guy
Poke him in the eye,
Put him on the bonfire,
And there let him die.
Remember, remember the fifth of November
It’s Gunpowder Plot, we never forgot
Put your hand in your pocket and pull out your purse
A ha’penny or a penny will do you no harm
Who’s that knocking at the window?
Who’s that knocking at the door?
It’s little Mary Ann with a candle in her hand
And she’s going down the cellar for some coal.
Guy Fawkes Night is a British Holiday marking the downfall of the Gunpowder Plot of November 5, 1605 and is celebrated for several days in Britain and many of its former colonies culminating on the evening of 5 November. The Gunpowder Plot was plan in which a number of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament, in London, United Kingdom. The plan was to displace Protestant leadership by blowing up the Houses of Parliament while King James I and the entire Protestant aristocracy and nobility were inside. Ironically they weren’t the only ones as most of the Catholic aristocracy and nobility were inside as well. The rebels still felt that this was “a necessary reaction to the systematic discrimination against English Catholics.” The original celebration was to celebrate the King’s escape from assassination and was symbolized through the lighting of bonfires to this ends. But the event has evolved into an event, which most trying to describe it to Americans will say that it is like Halloween but that there are fireworks and children beg for pennies for the guy instead of treats, and much like Halloween there is an implied threat for failure to give pennies.
So to all my fellow Second Life Residents for whom this is a reason to celebrate and all those who seek social and economic change through protest, I hope you have a wonderful Fifth of November. I will be thinking of you and wishing you well. I do find it amusing that in the popular world it has come to symbolize protest when in its original form it was a day that celebrated the squashing of resistance and alternative opinions and the survival of the status quo. I can say that I am glad the most widely spread forms of protest seem to have migrated to a much less violent form of protest, at least in the case of Second Life Residents. Please don’t stop using your two most valuable and powerful weapons in exacting change, your mind and your voice.
I would also like to remind you that the fifth of November is also significant to all women in the US who enjoy the right of suffrage…
…and all those who support the right of women to vote. It was on this date that Susan B. Anthony was fined for attempting to cast a vote for incumbent presidential candidate Ulysses S. Grant. The fine was for $100, a remarkable sum for the day, and fortunately she never paid. To see some more significant historical events from the fifth of November check out the Chicago Tribunes Story on this day in history: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-almanac_thu_05nov05,0,7831049.story
Information source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night
Ashes To Ashes, Sale To Sale 
An interesting point on women’s suffrage. This certainly appears to be aligned to Britain’s Pankhursts and Emily Davison who worked hard to achieve the vote in the early 20th century under the Suffragettes. In June, 1913, at the most important race of the year, the Derby, Emily ran out on the course and attempted to grab the bridle of Anmer, a horse owned by King George V. The horse hit Emily and the impact fractured her skull and she died without regaining consciousness.
This is amazing, Kaarl. Thanks for sharing. I had no idea of this additional piece in the history of struggles to achieve voting rights. In many ways, these events are also significant to blacks and other minorities in America, because the battle for women’s suffrage was a stepping stone in extending voting rights to all.
He is so cute and sexy when he talks history.
I said it on your flickr Ash, I am soooo impressed by this layout. Great everything!
Thanks, Khloe. I really appreciate the positive feedback and you are right, history talk is so sexy.
I never knew about the women’s suffrage that is really cool you learn something new everyday. Just like I did yesterday. Thanks to my British friend who informed me of this Holiday.
Great post (and blog Ash) but sadly Guy Fawkes Night/Bonfire night isn’t a holiday in the UK – we still have to go to work – but it is a time for fireworks & bonfires & celebrations 🙂
Thank you SOOOO much and yeah i don’t mean holiday as in get off work but a day of celebration. We American’s refer to any day of celebration as a holiday even if we don’t get off work.