11th Night
There were bonfires all over Belfast last night.
From the hills, the view over the city was quite impressive. It would have been more impressive without the drizzly haze - though the fire brigade were probably quite thankful for it!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
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3 comments:
Is there a particular reason for these bonfires? Or just general pyromaniac behaviour? Did you set anything ablaze?
We have similar fires about this time in British Columbia... we call them wild fires and most people don't actually enjoy them. You know how it is - someone always has to complain when they are evacuated from their home. Bunch of cry babies I say!
It's all part of the 12th July celebrations, when protestants celebrate a protestant King (who the Pope wanted to win) beating a catholic King (who the Pope wanted to lose), back on 1st July 1690.
It was about the replacement of the Stuart "divine right of Kings to rule" monarchy with a constitutional monarchy. It was about preventing the French from dominating too much of Europe. It was about Catholics and Protestants fighting, centuries ago. It was about "we won, you lost!". It was about the constitutional development of the UK. It was about civil liberties. It was about King Billy on his white horse. It was about the fire brigade having a busy night. It was about annoying the middle classes. It was about fires, and burger stalls, and a night out. It was about the annual twelfth holidays.
Basically. it's traditional now to have huge bonfires, with varying degrees of environmental friendliness and engineering proficiency, in many parts of the province.
I was thousands of miles away and missed it all - some were huge for about a month before! Never mind on the actual night. I hear the 12th went off without incident though - which is great!
I've had 38 degree heat in my two and a half week mission trip... And as I landed in Belfast it rained! Typical...
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