Tonight, 5 November, is Guy Fawkes Night. This marks an event in England in 1605, when a Catholic man, Guy Fawkes, was found in the cellar of the Houses of Parliament. He wanted to blow up Parliament and kill James 1st, who was Protestant. However, Guy Fawkes was caught, then arrested and executed along with other Catholics involved in the planning. Since then, people in Britain have celebrated this day with fireworks, which are a symbol of the explosion that Guy Fawkes planned.

In New Zealand, Guy Fawkes Night used to be quite popular, but it is less so now. Some cities still have public fireworks displays, but this year many of these were held in the weekend (1-2 November). The public displays have to be held at about 9pm, when it is dark, so it is not so suitable for families with young children. This is one reason why Guy Fawkes has become less popular here. Some people also say it is a British tradition but is not so relevant for New Zealand. A third reason is that there are often accidents with fireworks, either people being injured or fires being started by fireworks landing in dry grass or bush. That is why the public sale of fireworks is restricted to just four days a year, from 2 to 5 November, and to people over the age of 18.

The final reason why Guy Fawkes is less popular here now is that fireworks upsets animals. The noise scares cats and dogs, so pet owners are advised to keep their pets indoors in the evening. Other animals such as horses also get frightened and try to run away, which causes injuries if they run into a fence or onto the road. In the last two years, two horses died in this way. In 2019, a nyala (a kind of antelope from Southern Africa) died at Wellington Zoo on Guy Fawkes night. Consequently, many people want a ban on the private sale and use of fireworks, because these fireworks can be let off at any time and any day, so owners cannot plan for how to look after their animals. In contrast, the public displays are at a known time, so they can plan.

This year, RNZ Concert and the SPCA are hosting a Guy Fawkes Concert for Animals, with music that will calm pet animals and their humans. The concert is from 6pm to midnight, on the radio or online.

Vocabulary

cellar – a room under a house or building; also called a basement

execute – to kill someone, especially as a punishment

celebrate – to show that something is special

be injured – to be hurt, especially in an accident or an attack

SPCA – Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – an organisation which looks after animals

Note: ‘Guy Fawkes Night used to be quite popular, but it is less so now’ – here, ‘so’ refers back to ‘popular’ and is used to avoid repetition