DAY 23 Guy Fawkes' Night
@frr@wņo
Elizabeth I made England one of Europe's strongest Protestant n
consequently formally deposed as Head of the Church of
Ca tholic S parn tried to lnvade England tn 1 5BB but failed. The
When Įames I came to the throne in
Seen as traitors.
1603 he relaxed the antįCatholic laws and
Cathoļics began to show their power again
Įames panicked. He ordered all Catholic
priests out of the country and brought
A
back the anti-Catholic laws. To a
fanatical young Catholic called
Robert Catesby, the only
solution seemed to be violence.
ļļ
-l999
Īhe Book of Days līIĪnīīĪrĪįūūĪr 'e, Cambridge University Press 73
DAY 23 Guy Fawkes' Īhe 6unpowdel Plot
. Students read the briefbackground story to the
Night Gunpowder Plot as a preview to the listening exercise
Įistening
. Students hear a jumbled (and extremely potted)
Date November 5 version of the story of Guy Fawkes. Their task is to
Įevel Upper inįermediate match each piece with tĮre relevant illustration, which
Age all ages, especially teenagers is already in order. Good students couļd then write
Īime 20 minutes the story out.
Vocabulary gunpowder, plot, Protestant, Catholic,
depose, laų service, confiscate, (Du3 b1 (6 d4 e2 fs
traitor, fanatical, Houses of Parliament, 1b 2e 3a 4d sf 6c
conspirator, anonymous letter, tunnel (v),
search party, penny for the guy, fireworks,
effiqy, bonfire, barrel. cellar
o
November 5 is celebrated in England as Guy Fawkes' Night. lt is
named after a member of a group of Catholic conspirators whą in
1605, plotted to blow up the English Houses of Parliament with
gunpowder. Īhe Conspirators were arrested. hanged, drawn and
quartered and then, so legend has it, thrown on a bonfire. Whilst
November 5 celebrates a relatively important historical event (the
exact details of which lew adults can probably rememberl), the
main aįtraclion is really the bonfire and fireworks display, which is
something nearly all cultures have.
Bonfires have been lit around this time since celtic times. At this
time of year the sun is getting weaker and the celts thought that
bonfires might give it a bit of extra strength.
Guy Fawkes is not the only person to get his effigy burnt on
November 5. Mary l, the queen before Elizabeth l. ordered 17
Protestant martyrs to be burnt at Lewes in Sussex, where every
November 5 they burn an effigy of the Pope.
Many bonfire celebrations in England used to end up in riots real
between the police and the bonfire boys, the gangs in charge.
Children in Britain today go around with an effigy ol Guy Fawkes
and collect money (to buy fiieworks with) crying 'penny for the
guy'. On the night itsell people light enormous bonfires and set olf
fireworks. Īhese events take place either in private 9ardens or
public parks. Īhe injuries as a result of lireworks can sometimes be
- two children died in 1994, a year in which a record 1574
fatal
people needed hospital treatment. More retent years have seen a
decline in numbers, and many people campaign against the fact
that chįldren can buy fireworks, that they cause a lot ol noise and
nuisance, and that animals, too, get injured.
Oįher countries have their own fiteworks and lantern festivals. For
centurics the (hinese set off f ireworks at their festivities. When
įrade between the East and West began, the Chinese became
major producers of fireworks. ln ltaly they were manulactured in
ceļlar
lhe early 16th rentury, and the French and įhe English began usin9
them too. Mosį õf our most popuIar modern fireworks - rocket5,
bombs and Caįherine wheeļs, were commonly used at this time.
of gunpowder into
Ihe propelling and exploding force in f ireworks comes f rom a
rornbtnation of saltpetre, sulphur and charcoal. Īhe scienįific word
. When students have checked their answers, ļet them
fot f irewotks is 'pyrotechnics' from įhe Greek meaning 'fire arts',
hear the second part ofthe recording - the story in
and in fact fireworks preceded quns.
the correct order.
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