Have you ever been in the U.K on 5th November?
If you have, then you may have heard this rhyme:
Remember, remember, the 5th of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
5th November is known as either Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night and is possibly one of the best nights in the U.K. It is a night where we spend the evening out in the cold in front of huge bonfires with sparklers in our hands and fireworks above our heads. It is a wonderful evening with friends and family and is an event much loved all over the country.
What exactly is Bonfire Night?
Bonfire Night, or Guy Gawkes Night, is a celebration of the fact that Guy Fawkes in 1605 failed to kill the king! We don’t celebrate the fact that it was a plot (also known as the Gunpowder Plot) to kill King James I but the fact that the plot failed.
Guy Fawkes and his Catholic companions decided in 1605 to try and blow up the Houses of Parliament during the state opening (which is when the King was present in Parliament.) These Catholic conspirators hated the way Protestant James I (and Protestant Elizabeth I before him) treated Catholics during their reigns.
However, this attempt failed because someone sent an anonymous letter to a Catholic lord telling him not to go to Parliament that day. This information was passed on and the conspirators were discovered. Guy Fawkes had been the man in charge of the gunpowder that had been placed under the Houses of Parliament and so, even though all conspirators were killed once caught, the celebration ordered by the government was named after him.
Nowadays, we throw a ‘guy’ made of straw on the bonfire as a warning to all those who want to commit treason of killing the King.
A national celebration that was in fact a warning
When the government ordered 5th November to become a national holiday it was in fact a warning. The effigies of Guy Fawkes burnt on the bonfire and the fireworks that represent the failed explosion of the Houses of Parliament were all used to make it clear what happens to those that want to harm the King.
At the time people went to church to pray for the King and although this doesn’t happen anymore, the tradition of public displays of bonfires and fireworks are still in every city in the U.K. Most towns and villages organise their own celebrations and in big cities there will be multiple celebrations with everyone enjoying toffee apples and hot snacks as well as hot drinks to keep themselves warm during the cold evening.
Remember, remember the 5th of November…
At school, British children learn this famous rhyme that explains why we celebrate Guy Fawkes Night:
Remember, remember, the 5th of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, ’twas his intent
To blow up the King and the Parliament
Three score barrels of powder below
Poor old England to overthrow
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match
Holler boys, holler boys, let the bells ring
Holler boys, holler boys
God save the King!
So next time you are planning a visit to the U.K in autumn, why not aim to be there around 5th November instead of Halloween for a really special British evening of celebrations!