Traditional
pursuits in November
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In the Devonshire
town of Ottery St Mary, November 4th will see the annual custom of
Tar Barrels. This tradition is normally observed on 5th November
except when that date falls on a Sunday, as it does this year. In that case,
the event takes place on the day before.
It is an
ancient tradition associated with the burning of witches and became connected
with Guy Fawkes after the failed plot to blow up King James in the House of Lords in 1605.
The objective
is to race through the streets of the town carrying lit wooden tar barrels on
their backs. Originally, they were rolled until someone decided it would be
more fun to carry them. Ottery St Mary is the only town in UK to carry lighted
tar barrels.
Participants
are known as Barrel Rollers and to be eligible must have been born in the town
or own a business there. The event starts in the afternoon with small barrels
and the sizes increase until the last huge barrel, known as the Midnight Barrel
is rolled through to the town square around midnight.
Guy
Fawkes’ Night, now more usually called Bonfire Night or Fireworks Night started
as a celebration of the survival of King James. Now, bonfires are built across
the British Isles, from small ones in back gardens to huge bonfires at
community events. Often a guy, an effigy of Guy Fawkes himself, or of a
currently unpopular personality, is placed atop the fire to be burnt. Fireworks
remind onlookers of the power of gunpowder, though most don’t consider the
history behind the practice. Often Roman Catholics do not have a guy, since
Guido Fawkes was a Catholic, but may wish to have a bonfire and fireworks.
Children
may still make a guy and peddle it round the streets, begging for ‘a penny for
the guy.’
It’s
rather a horrible custom at base, really. Taken at its most harmless, it is a
chance to watch a big bonfire and fireworks and enjoy some casual refreshments.
It is a
nightmare for wild animals and domestic animals kept outside and can be equally
terrifying for household pets. Animal charities dread November 5th,
knowing they will be dealing with animals that have been cruelly abused with
fireworks. There’s nothing more beastly than callous humans.
Lighted tar barrels? That sounds a little dangerous, I'm sure there are safety measures in place though. I imagine they would be quite heavy.
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me that it is still allowed to take place in the Nanny state this country has become!
DeleteOh how I loved Bonfire Night as a child. In the back garden we had a big bonfire topped by a 'Guy' - parents' old clothes stuffed with rolled up pieces of the three daily newspapers that were delivered to our house (The Guardian for Dad, the Telegraph for Granny and rhe Nottingham Evening Post for all!) Neighbours were invited round. Dad got to indulge his pyromaniac tendencies, and had to be restrained from concocting home made fireworks, mother prepared teeth destroying toffee apples in the kitchen, kids ran amok with now banned fireworks....
ReplyDeleteCheers, Gail.
Happy memories:-)
ReplyDeleteI don't usually use the word...'Hate'....
ReplyDeleteIn this case l do..and will...I've hated
Guy Fawkes/Bonfire night, as long as l
can remember, besides the noise and
fear it does to our animals and pets,
if the truth be told, most people in the
UK go through the stupidity of building
bonfires, letting off fireworks, cheering,
shouting etc...For what..? For what..?
To celebrate a 'Terrorist...Guy Fawkes,
in anyone's book is/was a 'Terrorist'....! :(.
No fireworks as yet, here where l live, as
of last year, not one firework...so that's
good...Hopefully...l think it's dying trend,
most councils this year are not doing, or
paying for communal bonfires, or fireworks!
Cost of a communal gathering is around...
£10,000..better spent elsewhere...!
So..l would like to see, much like soaps on
TV..the banning of Nov. 5th...Once and for all..!
✨💛✨💛✨💛✨💛✨💛✨💛✨💛✨
Not too many fireworks here this year. I've always disliked fireworks. I think for many people it's partly habit and partly an excuse to have a party.
DeleteThey have been setting off fireworks for several nights already. I also wonder about the amount of chemical pollution from the fireworks.
ReplyDeleteEven organised events can be dangerous. One of my grandsons was burnt quite badly by a firework at such an event.
DeleteHere in the US we set off fireworks for the stupidest reasons. I believe we should celebrate the making of our free country on July 4, but without fireworks. Then we set them off for the New Year. Like we need that kind of noise to scare animal and human to know to change our calendar. Then locally there are fireworks for Sept. Labor Day. I think fireworks should be "uninvented" and never found again. I do like the idea of a family outdoor gathering around a fire for roasting foods and marshmallows only. Lynn
ReplyDeleteFireworks should be confined to one annual event, but people would never be able to agree on which event to have. Here fireworks are let off for birthdays, New Year and sundry other events. Now, increasingly expensive, perhaps we are reaching the end of them. Silent fireworks would work.
DeleteHere in Lewes, East Sussex - they still roll barrels into the town - amazing sight ... I've been once, that was enough - I'm happy to watch from afar, but get worried about the animals. It might all be washed out today and tomorrow ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteIt must be a terrific sight but takes a lot of organisation and money. I suppose it's a way of collecting for charity?
DeleteMy brothers and I loved Guy Fawkes Night because dad, and all the other fathers, were responsible for the fun for this one night of the year. And for our safety.
ReplyDeleteBanned now in Australia, I am not sure our children have ever heard of Guy Fawkes.
I was always afraid of fireworks and don't like them now, except at a very safe distance, or on television.
DeleteFirework nights wreak havoc here too - though I think that few make the mental link with Guy Fawkes.
ReplyDeleteSadly your last sentence is so very, very true.
in the city where I lived in NZ, Idiots in student halls used to have fireworks 'fights' when fireworks came on sale around the beginning of November (they are banned for public sale the rest of the year, and can only be sold to people over 18 when they are available). I had never seen fireworks until I was well into my 20s. Anyway the horrific injuries that were sustained after one particularly bad year of idiocy left normal people wondering about the sense of selling fireworks at all if even those with supposedly enough intelligence to make it into a university place can't work out that they are dangerous.
ReplyDeleteIt takes some people many, many years to realise that actions have consequences, often unforeseen and unintentional.
ReplyDeleteCarrying those lighted tar barrels sounds quite dangerous to me. And I do agree to fireworks being a nightmare for animals, whether of the wild or the domestic kind. I'm not a fan of fireworks myself either, to be honest! xxx
ReplyDeleteIt is strange that people will do dangerous things 'for fun' amongst crowds of people! x x x
DeleteI think that fireworks seem to get louder each year. I don't like loud sudden noises myself so it must be so much worse for pets and other wildlife.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the information about the Tar Barrels tradition. I didn't know about that.
I don't know why more people don't opt for the 'silent' fireworks - all the colour and sparkle without the noise.
Delete