“Remember, remember the fifth of November"

You know, it's a bit difficult for me to not remember the fifth of November, it's my younger brother's birthday. I was telling him how he should come and visit us during this time of year. All of England is celebrating. This is England's holiday for fireworks. And it goes on for days and for hours and hours each of those days. For me, July 4th is the big firework holiday, but it lands in the early part of summer, where it doesn't get dark until 10 pm and the fanfare wears off around 11pm. Here, in November, it's already getting dark at 4:30 pm, shortly after dark the fireworks start, popping, splashing and dotting across the sky until well after 11 pm. And then there are the bonfires, some that we saw were enormous. These fires symbolized burning the man, Guy Fawkes, in effigy. I was reading somewhere, it was put so perfectly, that this night also quaintly known as Bonfire Night, "is not known for its political, religious or racial sensitivity" Protestants burning a Catholic for the gunpowder plot to blow up Parliament. Celebrations around England can include throwing fire crackers at some one dressed as the pope or parades involving a lot of fire. Mostly, it seems people celebrate by setting off small bangers or going to watch the community displays. It's been a weekend of fire. We spent an evening with friends setting off our own little display and marveling at how all humans seem to have this fascination for fire, for sparkling things that go "boom!" I also wanted to mention, that it has been exactly one year since we first touched down in England to start this wacky adventure. Last year, when we came to England to look for an apartment to rent, we flew in on Guy Fawkes Day. I remember that evening, flying in to London and seeing fireworks going off all around us in every direction. It was a surreal moment, feeling a little like our arrival was being celebrated, a rather auspicious start to our life abroad. This past year has gone by so quickly. Already there are whisperings of what's to come next, of deciphering an exit strategy, daresay I don't look forward to the whole packing process over a year away. We have just over a year left and we've seen how fast a year can pass you by. I feel as if we have only just arrived.

"Remember, remember, the fifth of November."

Just in how many different contexts will that first line of poetry hold meaning to me.