In the years after England split away from the Catholic Church, most English monarchs were not very tolerant of Catholics living in England. James I was a Protestant king and English Catholics despaired of any return to the old religion. A small group decided to blow up both King and Parliament with gunpowder. They planned to place James' daughter Elizabeth on the throne. They hoped she would marry a Catholic prince and England would once again be a Catholic country. . .
This was to 'begin', a tradition of 'festivities', which we still observe today . . . although I must admit, it does not have the same 'build - up' to it as when I was a child. Then, weeks and weeks of 'gathering (dry) wood', paper, cardboard etc. - oh yes and 'old clothes' . . . .
. . . To be continued