Bonfire night (Guy Fawkes night)

Remember remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot…

Guy Fawkes, Bonfire Night - guys burning on the bonfire by somewhereintheworldtoday, on Flickr

When: November 5th every year.
Where: England.

On the night of November 5th, throughout Britain, Guy Fawkes’ foiled attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament is commemorated with bonfires, fireworks and burning an effigy of Guy Fawkes.

In 1605, Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament because the English Catholics had been persecuted under Queen Elizabeth I and her successor, James I. A number of young men, 13 to be exact, decided that violent action was the answer and a small group took shape, under the leadership of Robert Catesby who thought that in blowing up Parliament they would kill the King, maybe even the Prince of Wales, and the Members of Parliament.

Guy Fawkes, who was in the cellar of the parliament with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th, was caught, tortured and executed.

Get it right from the horse’s mouth! XXX shares his XXX festival experiences on his XXX travel blog, or for some great pics on previous year’s events check out our XXXX Flickr gallery.

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Food & Drink

Bonfire toffee, toffee apples and parkin! Drink mulled wine or hot chocolate and Baileys to keep out the cold.

The best places to be on Bonfire Night

Lewes in southern England has another reason to fire the rockets. In 1555, the Catholic queen nicknamed Bloody Mary had 17 Protestant rebels burned at the stake there. Every Bonfire Night around 60,000 visitors flock to see effigies of the pope go up in flames in memory of the martyrs. The Pope’s effigy is often joined by current politicians, presidents and terrorists. There are medieval street parades with flaming crosses and banger-filled barrels thrown into the river. Book flights to London and hotels with ebookers.com. You may need to search for flights and hotels separately.

Dates / venues may be subject to change or cancellation. Distances may be straight-line estimates. Please verify information before booking.

From fireworks and sparklers to welly boots and woolly hats, you can find everything you need for an amazing Bonfire Night on Amazon. And don’t forget the camera!