Bonfire Night

This evening in England, there is a festival of bonfires, fireworks and parties. The festival has three different names:

• Bonfire Night
• Guy Fawkes Night
• Fireworks Night

The festival's official day is 5th November but if it is a weekday, most people celebrate it at the weekend instead. Bonfire Night is not a public holiday so we go to work or school as usual. However, Bonfire Night is a very popular festival and most people celebrate it. Many people combine a Halloween party with a bonfire/fireworks party.

In the year 1605, a group of men conspired to kill the king of England and many lords. They put 36 barrels of gunpowder under the House of Lords in London; this is called the Gunpowder Plot. One of the gang members was assigned to guard the gunpowder and ignite it at the right time; his name was Guy Fawkes. Luckily, the plot was discovered and stopped and the gang members were captured. They were all executed for treason.

England still remembers the Gunpowder plot today and celebrates its failure. In modern times there are firework displays all over the country. The weather is usually cold at night in November so we stand around a bonfire and eat hot food such as jacket potato, soup and barbecue meat.

Children are taught this traditional rhyme: Remember, remember the fifth of November!