Keeping the fire burning

Like other Newfoundland communities, Grand Falls-Windsor is gearing up for Nov. 5, better known as Guy Fawkes Night.

But it needs more fuel to stoke its community bonfire at Centennial Field.

It's not too late to donate your combustibles, including wood (pallets and branches), cardboard and paper.

"We can't take couches, too, anything with upholstery," said Rod Drake, the town's special events coordinator. "Cardboard is great, even for lighting the fire."

The bonfire will be lit at the usual time, at approximately 6:30 p.m. when the sun has set.

The town is also planning a mini-fireworks show at the site. For people at the bonfire, there will also be hot chocolate and wieners for the children.

The Grand Falls-Windsor Fire Department staff and volunteers will also be on hand to light the fire and be prepared to control the blaze if it gets out of hand.

Many are familiar with Bonfire Night, but less know about its history. It commemorates the downfall of the Gunpowder Plot of Nov. 5, 1605, in which a group of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament, in London, England.

While Bonfire Night is still celebrated in many parts of the United Kingdom - and it is often a big display with fireworks and costumes - Newfoundland is the only province in Canada where many still recognize the event.

New Zealand also celebrates Guy Fawkes Night, with major events in several cities.

The customs of bonfire nights in the fall can also be referenced in Newfoundland folklore: for centuries, some rural communities had bonfire celebrations with no connection to Guy Fawkes. Like mummering, this is possibly a connection to ancient pagan customs that many of Newfoundland's earliest settlers and seasonal fishers imported from the Old World.