London Ninja

Instead of Forth of July, in the UK we have Guy Fawke’s Night aka Bonfire Night. It’s basically a time when people go outside and light up their fireworks. I have to admit I enjoy fireworks a lot. On my birthday a couple of years ago, we lit a couple of monster fireworks on the beach that went on for a good 20 minutes…before the cops came and we had to run for it. I’m generally a law-abiding citizen, but when it comes to anything gun-powder, I’m all for bending the rules.

So tonight, there are tons of fireworks shows all over along the Thames, etc. Why wouldn’t you when you are celebrating, right? In America, we are celebrating the day of independence from the horrible Brits. Fair enough. But what are the Brits celebrating tonight?

Who is this Guy?

The Gunpowder Plot

The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, or the Powder Treason, as it was known at the time,[1] was a failed attempt by a group of provincial English Catholics to kill King James I of England, his family, and most of the Protestant aristocracy in a single attack by blowing up the Houses of Parliament during the State Opening on 15 November 1605 (5 November 1605 on the Gregorian calendar)[2][3]. The conspirators had also planned to abduct the royal children, not present in Parliament, and incite a revolt in the Midlands.

The Gunpowder Plot was one of many unsuccessful assassination attempts against James I, and followed the Main Plot and Bye Plot of 1603. Some popular historians have put forward a debate about government involvement in the plot.

On 5 November each year, people in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and regions[5] celebrate the failure (or among some groups, the attempt) of the plot on what is known as Guy Fawkes Night, Bonfire Night, Fireworks Night, Cracker Night or Plot Night

So, in case you didn’t read that bit closely…it’s a night that celebrates the failure of an assassination attempt on King James I. Come again? It’s like having a John Hinckley, Jr Day. Not only does Guy get a day out of the year for himself, his name is now in the dictionary to represent a male person:

The word ‘guy’ came thus in the 19th century to mean a weirdly dressed person, and hence in the 20th and 21st centuries in the UK and U.S. to mean, in slang usage, any male person.

Um…so a guy tries to kill the King and gets a day to commenorate this event and his name is forever associated with a day of celebration. Makes perfect sense, guys.