Yet another Guy Fawkes night - and many tens of thousands of New Zealanders' dollars - has gone up in smoke. But on this side of the world, it has long been an irrelevance and is becoming even more so. New Zealanders need to welcome these new festivities but also not be afraid of standing up for those long-established holidays. Late October's Halloween and Guy Fawkes about a week later provide the most obvious examples of celebrations that have historic pertinence overseas but no obvious link as meaningful cultural touchstones here. It would make far more sense to use fireworks to celebrate something that is uniquely New Zealand.

Source: Otago Daily Times November 06, 2017 16:18 UTC