Students mark Guy Fawkes Day with bonfire, marshmallows
November 6th, 2009 Posted in Arts and LifeBy Seili Lewis
LOGAN–The Fifth of November was surely remembered this year, as USU students celebrated the European holiday.
Guy Fawkes night is probably one of the biggest celebrations of failure in history. The story goes as such, a group of Roman Catholic restoration activists in 1605 plotted to displace the rule of Parliament and its Protestant ideal by blowing up the House of Lords on the fifth of November. Fawkes was not the leader of the activists but had the heavy task of executing the plan to blow Parliament up with large quantities of gun powder. Fawkes was caught in the act, and his failure is widely celebrated in England as Bonfire Day, celebrated with fireworks, bonfires and burning Fawkes in effigy.
Many of last night’s American revelers were unaware of the 
importance of the holiday that they celebrated. Several students were only vaguely aware of the importance of the holiday and others were a little better educated.
Chris Lee, 22, an English major, said he found out about the holiday from the film V for Vendetta. Lee said after he saw the film for the first time he looked up the history of the holiday and decided that it was an idea he could get behind.
Lee and his roommates had created a dummy made from old clothes and a plastic Elmo-face bucket as a prank that they played on the girls next door, and when they found out about the holiday they decided to execute the dummy. “We burned the dummy from last year and couldn’t resist a holiday that you burn a dummy for, so we executed Steve Jr. (the dummy) as Guy Fawkes in effigy,” Lee said.
“Thank you to the British for giving us an excuse to burn people, called Guy Fawkes day,” Edward Haines said. “We will now shortly be roasting marshmallows over his dead body.”
The group consisted of eight students, and they trekked up to lower Second Dam in Logan Canyon to find a fire pit they could use to execute their “prisoner.” The dummy’s hands and feet were bound with tape and he was placed on top of a pile of firewood, lighter fluid was then liberally applied to the figure and after setting him alight the group roasted marshmallows over his ashes and watched the flames until they died down.
“Remember, remember the Fifth of November / Gunpowder, treason and plot. / I see no reason why gunpowder treason / Should ever be forgot …” Austin Case chanted, saying it was the only part of the Guy Fawkes poem that he could remember.
Photo courtesy of Edward Haines
Tags: bonfire, Fifth of November, Guy Fawkes Day, Logan Canyon
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