Bonfire Night – Remember Remember The 5th November

On 5th November 2017 by Admin

Remember remember the 5th of November…

So why every 5th November do the English set thousands of fireworks alight and burn bonfires??

Well (bit of a history lesson here)…in 1605, 13 men had plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament whilst the King was present. The reason behind this act of treason was because after Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, James I was crowned as monarch. During Queen Elizabeth’s reign there had been (as for many years, due to her father Henry VIII) conflict between the Catholics who were not favoured by the Queen and Protestants who were. The Catholics believed James I would be more favourable due to him having a Catholic mother, but this turned out to not be the case. Once again there was uproar and the plot to blow up the King was started.

Of the 13 men who were part of this plan, Guy Fawkes was one. He was not the head of the group, however, he was the one initially caught by the Royal guards whilst he was protecting the gun powder, on 5th November, which had been smuggled in under the Houses of Parliament. He had a public trial and sentenced to a rather gruesome death of being hung, drawn and quartered.

Therefore every 5th November (or generally the weekend before) England celebrates the fact that the plot to blow up the King was stopped and never happened. There are huge bonfires lit with a burning figure of Guy Fawkes and then hundreds and hundreds of fireworks are lit.

I love where I live, all the local community comes out to the local park, the kids all have glow sticks and we have the biggest fireworks show ever. Take a look…