A Brief History of Why We Celebrate Bonfire Night

Bonfire Night Events are held across the whole of the UK as a celebration on November 5th. The night's event celebrates the failure of the Gunpowder plot of 5 November 1605. This was when a number of conspirators including a man called Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the houses of parliament in London. It was originally compulsory to celebrate the King being saved from the plot and this celebration under the Thanksgiving Plot was compulsory until as late as 1859

There is a children's nursery rhyme about it:

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd (or by God's mercy*)
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holla boys, Holla boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
And what should we do with him? Burn him!

Usually only the first 5 lines are used.

The bonfires are held often with a "guy" on top to represent Guy Fawkes. This is usually a scarecrow type figure dressed in old clothes and stuffed with straw. He is burnt atop the bonfire to celebrate the failure of the plot.

The fireworks are used to symbolise the gun powder used in the attempt as many barrels of it were placed in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament.

Although mainly celebrated in the UK it's often celebrated in other British Colonies and the tradition is now more about exciting fireworks displays than any remembrance of the act of treason.

Bonfires are held at the weekend nearest bonfire night, although in some areas there may be several and organisers spread them out through the weekend to ensure people can attend more than one bonfire over that weekend.

In the past there would be "Penny for the guy" collections held to raise money to buy fireworks but this tradition seems to have been phased out and children now prefer to Trick or treating instead for sweets. In Penny for the Guy, a guy would be made and pushed round the streets with children knocking on doors for money. The guy would then be put on top of the local bonfire and burnt.

Some people prefer attending organised celebrations rather than holding their own bonfires in their gardens. However the family bonfire can still be fun and is easy to organise with a few neighbours to make it special.

The Fire Service offer advice about building a bonfire. Having it at a safe distance away from the house, any overhanging trees and other buildings is a very important step. If you don't have a big garden then having a bonfire is probably not a good idea. Collect wood and if possible keep it dry until Bonfire night. Ensure there are no pets or hedgehogs in the bonfire before lighting it. Do not use petrol or other flammable liquids to light it. Use dry newspaper scrunched up inside the middle. If you have piled the wood up in a cone shape then once it catches light it will burn well with wood falling to the middle. Don't build a bonfire too tall either. If you can't reach the top of it to add more wood, then add the wood around the sides.

Get everyone to keep back from it. Have fireworks in a tin and kept away from the fire. Have one person responsible for them and ensure they have read all the instructions in advance as well as reading the fireworks code leaflet that comes with them. Set them off well away from people and aim them away from spectators. If in doubt about whether a firework has failed to go off, stay away from it. Do not pick up fireworks once they have been lit.

Hot treats like baked potatoes can be done on a bonfire if it is small enough to get them out of safely, or better still, cooked indoors and bought outside. Hot drinks are good too as the weather is invariably cold by the start of November. If you follow the basic guidelines and wrap up warm you can have a great bonfire at home.

Ensure someone stays out with the bonfire until it's gone out. If needs be cover the bonfire embers will soil to encourage them to go out rather than leaving it unattended.

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