For many years, between the Wars & post-WWii, and surviving till my student 1950s Cambridge days & beyond, it was traditional for students [&, in London &c, young people generally — see many refs in P.G Wodehouse's Wooster stories] to go out what they called "ragging", but was actually drunken & ill-natured rioting, on Guy Fawkes Night; one highly 'honourable' achievement was to capture & take home to one's rooms a policeman's helmet. Anyone with any sense did best to stay at home that night. It is my impression this tradition is now defunct, I am glad to say — hope it stays that way.