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Fireworks

(88 Posts)
Nonu Sat 03-Nov-12 14:32:46

well it is that time of the year again .

I like fireworks , I love all the pretty colours and smells . We are going to a bonfire party tonight . Which is great , really looking forward to it .

The only downside is , pets , how some of them get really scared . smile

annodomini Thu 15-Nov-12 09:31:26

When I had cats, the ginger one retreated either under a big chest of drawers or behind the freezer when the fireworks season began; the other didn't turn a hair. However, low-flying jets from a nearby RAF base had exactly the same effect on Sandy and there wasn't much we could do about them.

gracesmum Thu 15-Nov-12 15:29:19

Well, well, I didn't know that. Because it more or less coincides with the State Opening of Parliament, I had innocently assumed that happened at the same time each year, even in the time of James 1. Apparently it was known as Gunpowder Treason Day in the early years of its celebration.
So which pagan festival was subsumed into it?

AlieOxon Sun 18-Nov-12 14:09:50

And - definitely off topic now - was there a pagan festival around the 5th Jan which could have turned into the Twelfth Day of Xmas?

absentgrana Sun 18-Nov-12 14:13:05

gracesmum Samhain (harvest end) celebrated on 31 October/1 November, so also coinciding with Halloween.

jeni Sun 18-Nov-12 14:16:12

Could be the saturnalia? Or was that Xmas?

jeni Sun 18-Nov-12 14:17:49

Just looked. That was from 17dec til the23rd

AlieOxon Sun 18-Nov-12 14:23:13

Wikipedia says
"Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival in honor of the deity Saturn originally
held December 17 and later expanded with festivities through December 23."

So not Jan 5th then.
I got curious through thinking about the song "12 days of Xmas" and what it's about. I think it is just preparations for a party, doesn't seem to be religious at all!
Pepys celebrated it...think this was a revival after Cromwell.
One time his wife was partying all night with the maids, but he went to bed. Another time he was trying to get home to get his piece of cake!

AlieOxon Sun 18-Nov-12 14:23:54

You got in first jeni.

AlieOxon Sun 18-Nov-12 14:35:18

A lot of info and theorising here - looks as if all the Christian connections have been removed in the song!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas#Pre-Christian_background

ninathenana Sun 18-Nov-12 17:05:41

If this thread has evolved into the origin of fireworks (sorry I confess I haven't read all 4 pages)
forgive me for going back to the begining but I just wanted to rant that we have had them going off round here since the end of October and theyr'e STILL doing it.
I heard one less than 5 minutes ago.

Why ??? I thought there was a bylaw restricting times dates ect.

annodomini Sun 18-Nov-12 17:48:27

nina. In a previous post someone referred us to this. Last summer, my neighbour had a party for her newly-wed brother and SiL. We had fireworks but it was well before 11pm so were able to ignore the grumpy man along the road who came out and shouted at us!

AlieOxon Sun 18-Nov-12 19:04:00

sorry - was me got us off topic!