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Bonfire night (Guy Fawkes Night)

Remember, remember

The fifth of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

We see no reason why

Gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot!”

In November 1605, the infamous gunpowder Plot took place in which some Catholics plotted to blow up the English Parliament and King James I, on the day set for the King to open Parliament. The men were angry as the King treated them badly and they did not like it. The story is remembered every 5th of November.

The celebrations involve fireworks displays and the building of bonfires, traditionally on which "guys", or dummies, representing Guy Fawkes, the most famous of the conspirators are burnt. Before the fifth, children use the dummies to beg for money with the chant "Penny for the guy".

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day is on the 11th of November. It is a special day set aside to remember all those men and women who were killed during the two World Wars and other conflicts. At one time the day was known as Armistice Day and was renamed Remembrance Day after the Second World War*. In the United Kingdom, although two minutes' silence is observed on November 11 itself, the main observance is on the second Sunday of November, Remembrance Sunday. Special services are held at war memorials and churches all over Britain. A national ceremony takes place at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. The Queen lays the first wreath at the Cenotaph. Wreaths are laid beside war memorials by companies, clubs and societies. People also leave small wooden crosses by the memorials in remembrance of a family member who died in war.

Remembrance Day is also known as Poppy Day, because it is traditional to wear an artificial poppy**. They are sold by the Royal British Legion, a charity dedicated to helping war veterans.

Queen’s official Birthday

The official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II is marked each year by a military parade and march-past, known as Trooping the Colour (Carrying of the Flag). The Trooping the Colour is tradition going back to the days when the Colours (regimental flag of the regiment) was trooped in front of soldiers to make sure everyone could recognise their flag in battle.

The Colours today are trooped in front of the Queen troops of the Household Division (Foot Guards and Household Cavalry).

State Opening of Parliament

The State Opening usually takes place in November or December on the first day of the new parliamentary session. There will also be a State Opening shortly after a general election.

Before every State Opening of Parliament, the Yeomen of the Guard search the cellars beneath the Palace of Westminster by the light of old candle-lanterns. This precaution has been undertaken every year since 1605, when the "Gunpowder Conspirators" attempted to blow up parliament on the day of the State Opening.

The Queen’s Speech is delivered by the Queen from the Throne in the House of Lords. The speech is given in the presence of Members of both Houses, the Commons being summoned to hear the speech by an official known as Black Rod. In a symbol of the Commons’ independence, the door to their Chamber is slammed in his face and not opened until he has knocked on the door with his staff of office. The Speaker and Black Rod lead the Members of the House of Commons as they walk, in pairs, towards the House of Lords. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition usually walk side-by-side, leading the two lines of MPs. The Commons then arrive at the Bar of the House of Lords (no person who is not a member of the Upper House may pass the Bar unbidden when it is in session; a similar rule applies to the Commons), where they remain for the speech.

Although the speech is made by the Queen, the content of the speech is entirely drawn up by the Government and approved by the Cabinet. It contains proposed legislation for the next session of the Parliament. Traditionally, the members of both Houses of Parliament listen to the Queen's Speech respectfully, neither applauding nor disapproving of the speech's contents before it is debated in each House. Following the State Opening, the Government’s programme, as presented in the Queen’s Speech, is debated by both Houses. The text is reported in the House of Commons Hansard and the House of Lords Hansard.

Glossary

appease (v)

make peace with

bagpipe

wind instrument; the player blows air into a bag and squeezes it out through pipes

Bethlehem

small town near Jerusalem on the west bank of the Jordan River; early home of David and regarded as the place where Jesus was born

Cenotaph

empty tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person who is buried elsewhere

commandment

doctrine that is taught

commemorate

 call to remembrance; keep alive the memory of someone or something, as in a ceremony

congregation

group of people who adhere to a common faith and habitually attend a given church

frankincense

aromatic gum resin obtained from various Arabian or East African trees; formerly valued for worship and for embalming and fumigation

gluttony

eating to excess (personified as one of the deadly sins)

haggis

made of sheep's or calf's viscera minced with oatmeal and suet and onions and boiled in the animal's stomach

Hansard

official published verbatim report of the proceedings of a parliamentary body; originally of the British Parliament

kelpie

(Scottish folklore) water spirit in the form of a horse that likes to drown its riders

Lent

period of 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday

leprechaun

mischievous elf in Irish folklore

mint (v)

form by stamping, punching, or printing

miser

stingy hoarder of money and possessions (often living miserably)

myrrh

aromatic resin burned as incense and used in perfume

pad lock

a detachable lock; has a hinged shackle that can be passed through the staple of a hasp or the links in a chain and then snapped shut

Passover

Jewish festival (traditionally 8 days) celebrating the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt

peril

state of danger involving risk

pinch (v)

irritate as if by a nip, pinch, or tear

regiment

army unit smaller than a division

resurrection

rising of Christ on the third day after the Crucifixion

revelation

enlightening or astonishing disclosure

skillet

pan used for frying foods

spunkie

Scottish: ignis fatuus: light that sometimes appears in the night over marshy ground and is often attributable to the combustion of gas from decomposed organic matter

stud

ornament consisting of a circular rounded protuberance (as on a vault or shield or belt)

toil

productive work (especially physical work done for wages)

tweezers

small pinchers used to pluck out hairs, and for other purposes

undaunted

unshaken in purpose

vigil

devotional watch (especially on the eve of a religious festival)

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