Damien Grant: Fireworks - a link to our inglorious past

Children should be outside, with their peers or their parents, setting off fireworks and experiencing the ancient thrill of that loud bang. Photo / Thinkstock

Opinion

One of the more interesting pieces of historical trivia to have come down to us are the signatures of Guido (Guy) Fawkes before and after his interrogation in 1605. The first seems a nervous scribble of a man under immense stress. The second eight days later, is a faint line of a man subjected to savage torture.

Still. Before we feel sympathy remember it was his intention to blow up the House of Lords and kill hundreds. Guy Fawkes was the Osama Bin Laden of his era and wasn't driven by liberty but hatred. He was a Catholic and his hatred was focused on the Protestant King James the First and his retinue.

The date of the foiled plot became an annual celebration and effigies of Fawkes were burnt and Catholics would be harassed and on occasion murdered.

Over the last century harassing Catholics has fallen out of fashion and Mr Fawkes has become a cult hero for his desire to destroy parliament. His image has been appropriated by Anarchists and various left-wing causes; which is apt as he was a hate-fuelled zealot immune to reason.

Thus we celebrate Guy Fawkes Night on November the 5th and you can be part of an unbroken celebration going back four centuries.

Sadly, the fireworks you can buy has been steadily whittled back. Firecrackers and bangers were banned in 1993, followed by skyrockets the following year and in 2007 the sale period was limited to just four days; from today to the 5th of November.

There isn't any restriction on when you can let off your fireworks however; so if you want to stock up for New Year's now is the time.

Today we can only buy fireworks with a no more than 40 grams of gunpowder; barely enough to disintegrate a suburban letter box, with a report no louder than 90 decibels; about the level of a car backfiring.

Each year the wowsers go on parade; demanding that we join Australia in banning fireworks. The fire brigade will frown their displeasure at being dragged away from whatever it is fireman do when they are not chasing fires and a police officer will take the opportunity to look stern on television.

And of course there will be a story about a nervous dog or a crying baby.

Don't listen to them. Fireworks are a primeval pleasure and a link to our inglorious past. Go out and buy some; and I'm not just saying that because I own shares in a fireworks business; and full disclosure I do; much to the frustration of the horse owners of Waitoki.

Life isn't risk free. Some people will get injured from playing with fireworks but they do so at their own risk. A few idiots will get burnt. It really isn't a big deal compared to the entertainment value fireworks provide.

Children should be outside, with their peers or their parents, setting off fireworks and experiencing the ancient thrill of that loud bang, and not trolling house to house for candy.