Fireworks

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.

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?

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

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

Could be the saturnalia? Or was that Xmas?

Just looked. That was from 17dec til the23rd

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!

You got in first jeni.

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

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.

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!

sorry - was me got us off topic!