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

The origins of Bonfire/Guy Fawkes night may actually be much older than the foiled attempt at blowing up the houses of parliament in 1605. Although Samhain is now popularly thought of as being 31st October and related to Halloween, it is more accurately 6th November. The Celtic equivalent of 6th November starts the evening of the 5th November as Celtic days were a night followed by a day. Celebrations traditionally involved the building of bonfires and probably some form of human sacrifice. Sacrifices were selected by people taking a specially baked cake or biscuit. One piece of biscuit would be blackened over the bonfire. The person who chose it was sacrificed. More recently the person who chose it had to walk over the dying embers of the fire. Rituals appear to have evolved from human sacrifice to the burning of effigies: these effigies were often of local criminals; during the reformation they were the pope; at some point following the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 they became Guy Fawkes.

The best celebrations are community or family based ones: organised events may be spectacular to behold but they lack the atmosphere of a small event for family and friends. The best food? Well, tradition dictates the tomato soup of a well-known brand. These small events work very well when everyone contributes some food and fireworks and when people work together to build the bonfire and make the guy.

Tip for building the bonfire: do not build it too far in advance as hibernating hedgehogs think it is a perfect home and settle down in it for the winter. Before lighting it, check that there are no hedgehogs asleep in there. Baked hedgehog is not a recommended food for bonfire night.

You often see many of the customs from Haloowe'en running into Bonfire Night. The food and the jack o'lantern/pumpkin thing definitely. Its interesting because Samhain focusses on the dead and the past year whilst Bonfire night celebrates the ritual burning of an effigy. If that makes sense . Perhaps that's just my family! Atually Samhain is a fire festival which also might have something to do with the bonfire aspect. Do correct me if I'm wrong!

Worringly my family always dressed the Guy in a relatives clothes or even made him look like someone we knew. He also always had pride of place in the house and was given a chair to sit on until the 'ritual burning'. Genetic memories? Family tradition done for so long no-one knew why anymore? The funniest Guy was the year we went to my parents' church's bonfire party and they had a competition for the best Guy. My sisters won with their Guy made to look like the church's minister For some reason everyone laughed and cheered when he went up in flames

Y'know its funny you should mention that. I remember at a school bonfire of yore the Guy looked a bit like a teacher. You can imagine the resounding cheer that went up....

People have started doing penny-for-the-Guy very early this year too. We came across 3 sets of kids last week!

Giving the Guy a seat at the table though....by gum! That's unusual.

interesting. I've always suspected that if it were just about an obscure historical figure who tried to blow up an unpopular king, it would have fallen into obscurity centuries ago. The idea that this is the old pagan way disguising itself to survive detection from ideological Christianity - especially at this time of year - makes a lot of sense!