“Remember, remember the 5th of November, gunpowder treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot”…at least that is how the rhyme goes. Bonfire night in the UK (celebrated every November 5th) is a night of firework displays, toffee apples and the traditional “burning of the Guy.” Although that may sound a little grizzly, the event is one of Britain’s best loved traditions and definitely not one to be missed.

History

As the poem suggests, Bonfire night, or Guy Fawkes Night, is a tradition that relates back to a failed plot to assassinate King James the 1st of England on November 5th 1605. The plan was foiled when a member of the plot, Guy Fawkes, was found guarding the explosives beneath the houses of parliament and immediately arrested. To celebrate the fact that the king had survived the attempt on his life, people up and down the country lit bonfires- an act which soon became an annual event.

Where to celebrate Bonfire Night

No matter where you are in the UK on November the 5th, you are never far away from a Bonfire Night celebration. In almost every pub beer garden up and down the country you are likely to find a firework display and a Guy Fawkes effigy a-top a fire. However, there are numerous places throughout Britain that really put in that extra bit of effort. Battle in East Sussex, for example, is known as the granddaddy of Bonfire Night celebrations and often includes no less than 30 different Bonfire societies who go to great lengths to make sure that the show is a spectacular one. Expect crazy fancy dress and a party to match. For those who are more in the mood for a spectacular firework display, rather than a village wide party, the Don Valley Grass Bowl in Sheffield offers an amazing show each year, attracting more than 18,000 people from the surrounding area. Perhaps even more impressive than this, however, is the Blackweir Field in Cardiff, which claims to be the biggest firework show in the whole of the UK.

Picture by: Becky Stares – Fotolia