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Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009

Bonfire Night will always be remembered

It is amazing what a difference a year can make. Last year, when Avery returned home from school with a homework assignment to bring in pictures of what he did for Bonfire Night, I was at a loss.

Avery had only been attending school in our village for a couple of weeks when the holiday rolled around, and I didn’t know much about it except that it was celebrated with fireworks. This, of course, was during the period when we were “patiently” waiting for our Internet to be connected, so my normal answer to “Google it” wasn’t going to happen. So I headed off to one of my new British neighbor’s houses, whose son attended school with Avery, and asked for some background on the British holiday.

That night, I learned that Guy Fawkes and a host of other conspirators led a failed attempt to blow up Parliament on Nov. 5, 1605.

Though I wasn’t able to arrange a celebration or make it to one of the local Bonfire Night’s that evening, I did manage to learn enough to teach Avery something about the holiday, and we stayed close to the windows so that we could enjoy the fireworks adorning the sky throughout the neighborhood.

Since that initial query, though, I have learned much more about the intriguing holiday, such as that the plot surrounded the conspirators’ desire to return the Catholic Church to its former glory in British society, armed with 36 barrels of gunpowder in Parliament’s cellar. Though the most fascinating part of the celebration is that, depending on who you talk to, the holiday can have two very different interpretations. Are they celebrating the capture of the conspirators, in essence saving the life of the king — or are they celebrating the courage of the conspirators’ attempt to abolish the government?

No matter what the origins, though, I was determined to observe the holiday this year surrounded by some of our new British friends. I don’t think a year ago when I first encountered the holiday that I would have predicted spending the holiday with the same family who had so kindly helped us learn what the holiday was all about.

Though I must admit we didn’t burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes in a bonfire, we did light the sky above our houses with a small fireworks display and enjoy some great food. Apparently our food didn’t ring traditional Bonfire Night — there were no sausages, jacket potatoes or soup; instead we enjoyed fajitas.

But as long as we understood the history behind the holiday and realize it is more than a night fireworks embellish the sky, I think we are on the right track. I don’t think Nov. 5 will ever pass again without our family remembering the Gunpowder Plot of Guy Fawkes — strangely enough with a smile on our faces.

Amanda Creel, who was a staff writer at the Robins Rev-Up newspaper on Robins Air Force Base, is married to Staff Sgt. Justin Creel, stationed at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Contact her at acreel@macon.com.