What phrase do children traditionally say while holding a Guy effigy?

Children traditionally say “Penny for the Guy” while displaying a Guy effigy. The custom was associated with children carrying a homemade figure of Guy Fawkes and asking passers-by for money before 5 November celebrations.

Guy Fawkes Night commemorates the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605. Fawkes was arrested while guarding barrels of gunpowder beneath the House of Lords, and later celebrations developed around bonfires, fireworks and burning an effigy. By the late 18th century, children were reportedly begging for money with figures representing “Guy Faux.”

The phrase is often confused with the rhyme “Remember, remember, the fifth of November,” but they serve different roles: the rhyme recalls the plot, while “Penny for the Guy” was a request for a small donation. The tradition has declined sharply in modern Britain, although Guy effigies and Bonfire Night events remain familiar.