Gunpowder, treason, and plot. Do you really know your Bonfire Night history?

Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night, is an annual celebration held every year on 5th November, as you know. The Gunpowder Plot aimed to blow up the Houses of Parliament and assassinate King James I, but was foiled when Guy Fawkes was caught guarding barrels of gunpowder the night before. But why do we celebrate Guy Fawkes Night?

Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated with fireworks, bonfires and effigies to symbolise the events of the failed plot.

When and how is Guy Fawkes Night celebrated?

The tradition began immediately after the failed plot in 1605, when people were encouraged to celebrate the King’s survival by lighting bonfires. Today, the celebrations still centre around lighting bonfires and setting off fireworks.

The largest Guy Fawkes Night celebrations are usually organised by councils and feature an elaborate bonfire and professional firework display. Many people attend these community events to experience the fireworks and bonfires. Smaller celebrations also take place in back gardens across the country as families gather for their own bonfires and fireworks parties.

In addition to the bonfires and fireworks, it’s also traditional to burn effigies or ‘Guys’ on the bonfire. These effigies, often straw men, represent Guy Fawkes himself. Children used to make their own Guys weeks in advance and take them around asking “Penny for the Guy?” to collect money for fireworks.

The Gunpowder Plot of 1605

After Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603 without an heir, King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England.

There were some Catholics who had hoped King James would be more tolerant of their religion. However, they soon became disillusioned, as the persecution of Catholics continued under his reign. In 1604, a group of provocateurs led by Robert Catesby decided to take action, and plotted to kill the King by blowing up both him and the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament, with gunpowder.

The plotters managed to lease a cellar beneath the House of Lords, and spent months smuggling in barrels of gunpowder. Guy (Guido) Fawkes, who had explosives experience in the Spanish Army, was placed in charge of the gunpowder. The plan was to ignite the gunpowder on 5th November during the State Opening of Parliament while King James was present.

However, an anonymous letter warning one peer to stay away was made public, and an investigation ordered. In the early hours of 5th November, Guy Fawkes was discovered in the cellar guarding the explosives and arrested. He was tortured until he gave up his co-conspirators. And all the plotters were convicted of high treason.

Why do we celebrate Guy Fawkes Night?

When the Gunpowder Plot was revealed, the government was quick to declare 5th November ‘a day of thanksgiving’. Days before Bonfire Night, effigies of Guy Fawkes would be paraded through the streets then thrown onto the bonfire as a symbolic burning of the traitor.

Although Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators failed in their assassination attempt, they did manage to secure their place in history. The story of the audacious Gunpowder Plot captured the public’s imagination, and the tradition of marking 5th November lived on.

To this day, Guy Fawkes Night is seen as a distinctly British celebration and an opportunity for people to come together for an exciting night of revelry and fireworks. The burning of the Guy effigies represents a commemoration of the failed plot and reminds us to be tolerant of all faiths and beliefs. Many people see it as an important part of British cultural tradition and an annual event to look forward to.

How Guy Fawkes celebrations have changed over the years

In the past, Bonfire Night celebrations were mainly small community or family affairs. Now there are more large-scale public events organised with professional firework displays and funfairs. This provides a safer and more managed environment for the festivities.

Traditionally the focus was on large bonfires where Guys were burned, but due to safety concerns and restrictions, bonfires play less of a role in modern events. The emphasis is now more on the fireworks display.

When the bonfires are lit and fireworks launched into the November night sky, we are continuing a 400-year-old tradition of celebrating the failure of Britain’s most infamous plot. Whatever its complicated origins, Guy Fawkes Night remains a popular event that brings together communities across the country.