Celebration Vocabulary

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"Remember, Remember...."

November 5th- Guy Fawkes Day or Bonfire Night

Who was Guy Fawkes? Everything you need to know about the 5th of November.

We all know the rhyme "remember, remember, the 5th of November", when crowds gather to watch effigies of Guy Fawkes being burnt on a bonfire.

But why do we commemorate Bonfire Night with spectacular pyrotechnics, who was Guy Fawkes and what did he do to deserve such a fiery fate?

What is Bonfire Night and why do we celebrate it?

Known as Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night, November 5 marks the failure of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot. A group of English Catholic conspirators, incensed by anti-Catholic sentiment during the reign of King James I, planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament and assassinate the monarch in the process.  

Thirty-six barrels of gunpowder were transported to Westminster and placed in a cellar beneath the Houses of Parliament, where they were guarded by Guy Fawkes. On November 5 1605, guards were alerted to the threat, leading to a search of the cellars and the discovery of both the gunpowder and Guy Fawkes.

Who was Guy Fawkes?

Although he was not the ringleader of the gang, Guy Fawkes has gained the most notoriety. As the member charged with the task of lighting the fuse that would set off the explosives, he was the one caught guarding them during a search of the cellars beneath Westminster.

After his capture Fawkes was to be hung, drawn and quartered - a gruesome death sentence which involved cutting off of prisoners’ genitalia and removing their entrails before their eyes.

However, he managed to avoid this horrifying fate by jumping from the scaffolding where he had been taken to be hung, causing instant death from a broken neck.

How is Bonfire Night celebrated?

Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated with firework displays, whose sparks and flashing colours are intended to resemble the sights and sounds of the explosion that would have been. In the immediate aftermath of the failed plot, bonfires were lit in honour of King James’ survival. This tradition continues today, with effigies of Guy Fawkes made by local communities being burned.