Recently, I experienced Guy Fawkes Night, also referred to as Bonfire or Fireworks night. This is strictly an English holiday, for reasons I’ll bring up soon, so I knew I had to go check it out.
But, before I get into the details of the night, let’s go through a brief background on the history of Guy Fawkes Night.
Essentially, a man by the name of Guy Fawkes was arrested on Nov. 5, 1605 for attempting to blow up Parliament with gunpowder, which would have taken the lives of the members of Parliament and the king.
This was an unfavorable act in the eyes of the people. So, they responded by lighting bonfires all around London, some even burning effigies of him, to celebrate his failure. The fires were said to have been lit with gun powder as well.
Now, I’ve done a bit of research on this matter with the Internet and by talking to locals, and I’ve come up with some interesting results. Most believe Guy Fawkes was the sole conspirator of the Gunpowder Treason Plot. Others say he was merely a pawn or the fall guy, but that is not the popular belief.
Over the years, Guy Fawkes Night has changed. In most places, specifically in London, it is known as Fireworks Night and there is less of an emphasis on Guy Fawkes. They do tell the story a bit before they light off the fireworks, but it was not the theme of the night.
Based off of the event I attended, one of dozens being held within the city, it honestly felt more like a county or state fair. Except it was cold and, being the stubborn Midwesterner I am, I didn’t wear a coat. But I had my Bison blanket, so that counts for something, right?
Anyway, the night was full of fun festivities. Once you walk through the gates, the bright lights coming off of the many rides set up in the park greet you. The cheerful sounds of people laughing and screaming filled the air. Smells from various food vendors, selling anything from burgers to homemade donuts greet the nose.
Obviously, that was our first stop since none of us had had supper yet. Then we went to go try an English favorite called mulled wine. It’s wine mixed with a few spices and then warmed up. I know it sounds kind of weird, but it was so good.
After having our warm drinks, we walked around and did some people watching. Finally, it was time for the fireworks to start. Let me tell you friends, it was amazing. Before it started, the emcee of the night gave a brief history of Guy Fawkes Night.
All the fireworks were set to music from movies based off of Shakespeare’s play, because this year is the 400th anniversary of his death. The emcee said this was a way of essentially killing two birds with one stone, celebrating Shakespeare and Guy Fawkes. It was a quite the celebration.