Top 5 Facts About Bonfire Night

There must be a reason we light bonfires and burn effigies, right? Well, it dates back to November 5th 1605, when a band of English Catholics conspired to kill the Protestant King James I by blowing up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament, using 36 barrels of gunpowder. The “Gunpowder Plot” was foiled, thanks to a warning from an anonymous letter, the conspirators captured, and everyone lit bonfires to celebrate the King's survival. The trend became tradition, and over 400 years later we're still doing the same thing.

There are numerous names linked to the Plot, but Guy Fawkes is the one we remember. At a young age, Fawkes converted to Catholicism, later fighting for the Catholic Spanish army in the Eighty Years War and eventually meeting Robert Catesby, who spearheaded the explosive plot. Fawkes’ role was to light the fuse to the explosives, but before he could complete his task, he was captured and subsequently tried for treason, tortured and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered. Fawkes’ neck was broken before the last parts could happen though, but his executioners completed the task anyway. Lovely.

Use of gunpowder can be traced back as far as the 9th century, and it’s widely believed to have originated in China. Fireworks, however, were only really popularised in Britain at the end of the 15th century however, when they were famously used at Henry VII’s wedding. Since then, rockets, roman candles and catherine wheels have become a Bonfire Night favourite. However, they haven't always been legal, and have consistently been banned since as far back as 1682, due to their disruptive and destructive qualities.

In 1606, Parliament made the 5th November an official day of thanksgiving in Britain, which technically made church attendance mandatory. And no one celebrates bonfire night with quite as much gusto as the UK, but other nations do mark the occasion, particularly those which used to be part of the British Empire. Interestingly, St Peter's School in York, the fourth oldest school in the world, refuses to partake in the burning of a ‘Guy’, out of respect for Fawkes who attended the school as a boy. They still enjoy the firework festivities though.

With the rise of multi-faith societies, November 5th isn’t the Catholics/Protestants battle it once was. However, for some, it’s still a symbol of rebellion, with the film and comic “V for Vendetta” encouraging that idea. Many see Bonfire Night as a chance to revolt against government, politicians and even celebrities. Of course, for the vast majority, it’s about gathering with friends and family. But the fact that the Yeomen of the Guard still search the cellars of the Houses of Parliament before the State Opening, proves it will never be forgotten.