Essay for the Month of November

Alternate Holiday

        On November Fifth, the English celebrate Guy Fawkes Day.  Children will build bonfires and light effigies of Guy Fawkes, a Catholic conspirator who tried to blow up the English Parliament in 1605.  As an American, I feel left out.  Bonfires are rare, usually only during Halloween.  And that is on the decline as the Religious Right declares Halloween as Satanic.  I want bonfires, so here's how.  I'm beginning to view these Essays as small "Reality Seeds" instead of full AHs.

        What If:
        Americans kept Guy Fawkes day, in some way, shape, or form.  The problem starts with General Washington, who thought that the holiday was a possibility for trouble between the American soldiers and their French Allies.  This was a smart thing, actually, as the effigy burnt during the holiday was sometimes Guy Fawkes, other times the Pope.  Either way it was a clear anti-Catholic holiday, which would have strained relations between the Americans and French.  Washington's decision was a wise one.
        But what if the Holiday was able to continue in another way, as an anti-King George III Holiday.  Washington again may step in to block this holiday, but he might be persuaded not to by an advisor.  Late in the war, it was clear that the Colonies would not happily join the British Empire again, they would either be granted independence or suffer a harsh peace.  By the time the French have entered the war, an anti-King George III Holiday would be likely.

        King George Day:
        On November 5 late in the American Revolution, the American soldiers and their French Allies begin the practice of King George Day.  It remains very unchanged from the earlier Guy Fawkes Day.  A makeshift Crown is made to show that the effigy is King George and not the Pope or Guy Fawkes.  The bonfires remain, and everyone is happy.
        The Holiday has its ups and downs.  During the terms of Washington and Adams, the Holiday is frowned on by the Federalists who dislike it's Anti-British basing.  Federalist strongholds instead celebrate Thanksgiving, at various times throughout November.  In the South, where support for Thanksgiving is small but the British are disliked, the Holiday is a popular get together.
        With the election of Jefferson, and the following bad relations with Britain leading up to the War of 1812, the Holiday spreads like wildfire across the Nation.  In former Federalist strongholds, the Holiday blurs together with Thanksgiving.  Most celebrations happen in November, but the date on the 5th is no longer important and sometimes the Holiday is celebrated late in the Month.

        An Official Holiday:
        Up until the American Civil War, King George Day had not been an official national holiday.  Each state would set a date for it, some not celebrating it at all.  Only during times of bad relations with the British, such as during the Oregon Territory Dispute, will the Holiday take on clear anti-British tones.  Most of the time it is a Harvest Festival, with the bonfire burning being a community happening, a chance to get everyone together to celebrate the good Harvest.
        President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving Day an official Holiday in 1863, a time to give thanks both for the good Harvest and for the freedom enjoyed by Americans.  It is mostly a way to boost moral in the Union Troops, but after the war the Southern states continue to celebrate it as they had before the War.  The third Thursday in November is the national day of Thanksgiving, often called King Day or Harvest Day in some places.

        The 20th Century:
        During the 20th century, as the population of the United States became increasingly urban, new Thanksgiving traditions emerged.  The day after Thanksgiving gradually became known as the first day of the Christmas shopping season.  Efforts by FDR to make Thanksgiving earlier, giving more time for Holiday shopping, eventually failed.
        Late in the Century, the Religious Right began to mount a strong opposition to both Halloween and Thanksgiving.  The effigy, they claim, is a representation of Christ being burnt by Pagan rituals.  This claim is based on that the crown used by the effigy is usually made of branches, or thorns.  Both Halloween and Thanksgiving begin to decline in the Plains States and the South because of this.  The collapse of a large Bonfire at a Texas University in 1999, killing three students, also highlights true dangers with the Holiday.

Back to the Main Page.