h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I suggest that to celebrate properly we should try an act of treason ourselves. Of course, the act should also not be harmful, and after consulting the law of the land the lowest treasonable offence I can find is to shout 'God Save the King' at Buckingham Palace during the reign of a Queen.

Curiously, this is only an offence when the Queen is not in residence at the Palace!

I think we could celebrate very effectively by having a light hearted competition every year to see who can blow up Parliament. I think most of us would agree this is a plan without drawbacks.

There has always been an aspect of "people power" in the celebration.
I remember celebration in Golders Green in the 60s when I heard an elderly jewish neighbor light a rocket shouting "take that Harrold!"
We do sometimes ignite the powder denied to Fawkes.

Actually the celebration is about the preservation of the government.
As the 17th century unfolded it became a tale of the evolution of the parliament toward democracy completed or at least moved on by the american revolution in the next century.

The fact that the english did not come out in support of the plotters in the Midlands rising demonstrates the growing importance of nationalism and its link to prosperity and stability which was prefered over constant swings of the religious pendulum-= it did take the rest of the century to iron this out but eventually resulted in William III who was the first king to be controled in a major way by parliament.....

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CB