Guy Fawkes Night is an annual celebration on the evening of 5 November. It marks the downfall of the Gunpowder Plot of 5 November 1605, in which a number of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to destroy the Houses of Parliament, in London, United Kingdom.
In the United Kingdom, celebrations take place in towns and villages across the country in the form of both private and civic events. They involve fireworks displays and the building of bonfires on which traditionally “guys” are burnt, although this practice is not always observed in modern times.  These “guys” are traditionally effigies of Guy Fawkes, the most famous of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators. Although the night is celebrated in York (Fawkes’ hometown) some there do not burn his effigy, most notably those from his old school. In the past, before the fifth, children traditionally used the “guys” to request a “penny for the guy” in order to raise funds with which to buy fireworks. However, this practice has diminished greatly, perhaps because it has been seen as begging, and also because children are not allowed to buy fireworks. In addition there are concerns that children might misuse the money.
In Sussex, it is a major festival that centres on Lewes necessitating the closure of the town centre. The night also commemorates the Glorious Revolution and 17 local Protestant martyrs that were burnt at the stake during Marian Persecutions by the Catholic Queen Mary I. The night begins with torchlight processions in costume by a number of local bonfire societies and culminates in six separate bonfires where effigies of Guy Fawkes, Pope Paul V and topical personalities are destroyed by firework and flame. The burning of an effigy of Pope Paul V is carried out by the Cliffe Bonfire Society alone and they are barred from marching with the main procession.
In Ottery St Mary, in Devon, burning barrels of tar are carried through the streets. Ottery St. Mary is internationally renowned for its tar barrels, an old custom said to have originated in the 17th century, and which is held on November 5th each year. Each of Ottery’s central public houses sponsors a single barrel. In the weeks prior to the day of the event, November 5th, the barrels are soaked with tar. The barrels are lit outside each of the pubs in turn and once the flames begin to pour out, they are hoisted up onto local people’s backs and shoulders. The streets and alleys around the pubs are packed with people, all eager to feel the lick of the barrels flame. Seventeen Barrels all in all are lit over the course of the evening. In the afternoon and early evening there are women’s and boy’s barrels, but as the evening progresses the barrels get larger and by midnight they weigh at least 30 kilos. A great sense of camaraderie exists between the ‘Barrel Rollers’, despite the fact that they tussle constantly for supremacy of the barrel. In most cases, generations of the same family carry the barrels and take great pride in doing so. … Opinion differs as to the origin of this festival of fire, but the most widely accepted version is that it began as a pagan ritual that cleanses the streets of evil spirits.
Guy Fawkes Night is less commonly celebrated in Northern Ireland, where autumn fireworks and bonfires are more commonly associated with Halloween.         VICTORIA

Hi everyone,

It is extremly important that you attend your classes regularly. Low attendance can cause you unecessary stress in your student life. Not only will students with low attendance face delays in their Oyster card application, but they also won’t be able to receive their certificate in the of the course. Visa students will be reported to the Home office if they have attendance lower than 85%. So make sure you come to class frequently and in case of illness always contact the school to justify your absence. Send an email to: reception@the-englishstudio.com and explain why you are not coming to school.

Remember to talk to your teacher in case you have any doubt about your attendace.

Wish you all a wonderful time.

Cheers,

Evilin.

Last Saturday, my wife and I battened down the hatches and watched X-factor, hoping that hordes of feral, ghoulish costume-clad children would not descend on our door, demanding sweets, with the implied threat of redecorating our porch with flour, eggs and I daren’t imagine what else. It got me thinking how Hallowe’en has changed and evolved.

Hallowe’en comes from the old Celtic festival called Samahain (pronounced ’sawan’) and was in fact the beginning of the Celtic New Year. So, you might ask, why do we have all the witches and wizards and things that go bump in the night accoutrements? Well, the reason is that according to ancient belief, Hallowe’en was the night upon which the door between the land of the living and the land of the dead briefly creaked ajar.

When Ireland became a  Christian country, this tradition was transferred to the idea of All Souls  Day, when it became traditional to visit a church and to light a candle for loved ones who have passed on. I suppose it’s always nice to think that someone is watching over us…On another subject, somebody must definitely be watching over John and Edward: Ireland’s most embarrassing export. How did they survive another week? What is wrong with the world? Just like what really lies behind the mysteries of Hallowe’en, we’ll probably never know..

Another thing we’ll never know is why I didn’t check the other blogs before starting this one! I’ve just seen that my colleague Victoria has done a much  better blog than mine about Hallowe’en, so please read her one not mine! next week , I intend to write about something Victoria has no interest in and is not going to blog about: perhaps the unrecognised genius of John and Edward!

Mike