Every year on 5 November, British skies light up. Parks fill with families in wellies and woolly hats, a huge bonfire crackles away, the fireworks go bang, and the whole crowd says “ooh” and “aah” at exactly the same moment. Welcome to Bonfire Night, also called Guy Fawkes Night.
It’s one of my favourite British evenings, partly because it’s so very British. We stand in a cold, wet, muddy field in the dark, holding a cup of tea, and we absolutely love it.
What Happened in 1605?
On 5 November 1605, King James I was due to open Parliament in London. A group of Catholic plotters, led by Robert Catesby, planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament with the King inside. They hid 36 barrels of gunpowder in a cellar right underneath the House of Lords.
Just before midnight, the guards searched the cellar and found Guy Fawkes standing guard over the gunpowder. The plot, now called the Gunpowder Plot, had failed. That night, Londoners lit bonfires to celebrate the King’s escape, and the next year Parliament made 5 November an official day of thanksgiving. More than 400 years later, we’re still lighting bonfires.
British children still learn this old rhyme:
Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
What Happens on Bonfire Night Today?
To be honest, almost nobody is thinking about 1605. Bonfire Night today is all about fireworks, fire and food.
- Firework displays. Most people go to a big public display run by the local council, a school or a sports club, often on the nearest Friday or Saturday. Some families still do fireworks in the back garden.
- The bonfire and the guy. On top of the bonfire sits the guy: a homemade dummy made of old clothes stuffed with newspaper, which represents Guy Fawkes. In the past, children pushed their guy around the streets asking for “a penny for the guy”. You rarely see that now.
- Sparklers. Children write their names in the air with sparklers (always with gloves on).
- Food. Toffee apples, jacket potatoes cooked in foil, hot dogs and a flask of tea or hot chocolate.
- Lewes. The town of Lewes in East Sussex has the most famous celebration in the country, with torch-lit parades through the streets.
It isn’t a bank holiday, so everyone still goes to work and school the next day. And if you have a dog, you’ll know that “fireworks season” lasts for weeks, not one night.
Bonfire Night Words
- bonfire: a large outdoor fire.
- firework display: an organised show of fireworks for the public.
- rocket: a firework that shoots high into the sky and explodes.
- sparkler: a thin metal stick that throws out bright sparks when you hold it.
- Catherine wheel: a firework fixed to a post that spins round in a circle of sparks.
- banger: a firework that just makes a loud bang. (It’s also British slang for a sausage!)
- the guy: the dummy of Guy Fawkes that sits on top of the bonfire.
- toffee apple: an apple on a stick covered in hard, shiny toffee.
- bonfire toffee (or treacle toffee): very dark, hard toffee made with black treacle.
- parkin: a sticky ginger cake made with oats and treacle, popular in the north of England.
- jacket potato: a potato baked in its skin.
Firework Phrases in Everyday English
Fireworks have given English some brilliant phrases, and Brits use them all year round:
- a damp squib: something that was supposed to be exciting but turned out disappointing. A squib is a small firework, and a damp one just fizzles. “The big final was a bit of a damp squib.” (Careful: it’s squib, not squid! Full lesson: a damp squib.)
- go off with a bang: to be a big, exciting success. “The party really went off with a bang.”
- a flash in the pan: a sudden success that doesn’t last. It comes from old guns, where the gunpowder in the “pan” could flash without firing the shot. “Their first hit song was just a flash in the pan.”
- there’ll be fireworks: there will be an angry argument. “There’ll be fireworks when Mum sees the mess!”
Let’s Talk
Teachers, these work well as a warm-up in class:
- Does your country have a festival with fire or fireworks? What happens?
- Would you enjoy standing in a cold, wet field to watch fireworks? Why or why not?
- Should people be allowed to set off fireworks at home, or only at public displays?
More British culture: the British love of tea, 50 British slang words and the British words that are fading away. Still in a spooky mood? Try our 10 Halloween idioms.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 5 November is a normal working day in the UK, so most firework displays happen on the nearest weekend.
The guy is a homemade dummy that represents Guy Fawkes, the man caught guarding the gunpowder in 1605. Today it is a tradition rather than anything serious.
Toffee apples, bonfire toffee, parkin (a sticky ginger cake), jacket potatoes, hot dogs and plenty of hot drinks.
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