It’s a unique celebration, as eccentric as only the British know how to be. It is an event loved by children and adults alike, one that traces its origins back to the turbulent 17th century in England. Guy Fawkes Night – or Bonfire Night – as it is better known, commemorates a dastardly plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London, and to murder the king. Bonfire Night is celebrated in England every November 5th almost as feverishly as Christmas and like Christmas is anticipated and planned for weeks beforehand. Bonfire Night in Britain is always special but 2005 marks the 400th anniversary of one of the most infamous events in British history.
A Dastardly Plot...
The plot to blow up Parliament was masterminded by Robert Catesby, an enthusiastic supporter of the Catholic cause, and opponent of the ruling and powerful Church of England. In the course of recruiting people to carry out his plan, Catesby was introduced to an ex-soldier named Guy Fawkes, and was impressed with him. Guy Fawkes, who was born in the city of York in 1570, and converted to Catholicism at the age of 16, must have seemed the ideal man for the dangerous job. He had served his country admirably as a soldier in France and the Netherlands and had considerable experience with explosives. He must also have cut an imposing figure – drawings of him from the time show a broad shouldered figure with flowing red hair and a long beard.
If you are interested by Fawkes’ early life you can take a guided walking tour through the narrow streets and alleys of the historic city of York seeing the various places where he was supposedly born and educated.
Fawkes and the other 12 conspirators somehow managed to rent a cellar under the Houses of Parliament and began to gradually stockpile explosives there. Their plan was to blow up Parliament on the day of the state opening, along with the King, James I. Their long term aim was to plunge England into turmoil upon the death of the king, and to force the election of a new monarch, one that would be sympathetic to its Catholic past.
As the night of the plot drew nearer, some of the conspirators began to have second thoughts about their plan, thinking that perhaps innocent people as well as those sympathetic to their cause may die unintentionally. An anonymous letter was supposedly sent to the king outlining the details of the dastardly plot. History is vague as to whether there really was a letter, but somehow the king found out and fortunately, the plot was foiled almost literally at the last minute. Even as they were about to light the fuse on their 36 barrels of explosives hidden beneath piles of firewood, the traitors were caught, tried for treason and eventually executed. Fawkes’ signed confession is today on display in the UK National Archives in Kew, London.
Hero or Villain?
On the first anniversary of the foiled plot, in November 1606, bonfires were lit in and around London and effigies of Fawkes were burnt. The Church of England actively encouraged this practice, and Samuel Pepys recorded accounts of bonfires in his famous diaries. Fireworks were also let off and within a few years this had become a national celebration. Today, while not strictly a national holiday, Bonfire Night is a huge event throughout Britain, with fireworks, traditional food and drink, costume parties and other festivities.
Despite the nature of his crime, Guy Fawkes is almost regarded as something of a hero today, in much the same way as the outlaw Robin Hood. Guy Fawkes was recently voted one of the “100 best Britons”. The British people jokingly claim that he is the only person to enter Parliament with honest intentions and today the “Gunpowder Plot” society actively thrives. One of its objectives is to establish whether there are any present day descendants of Fawkes or the other plotters, although there seems to be no firm evidence for this.
A Uniquely British Celebration
Like Christmas and Halloween, Bonfire Night preparations seem to start earlier and earlier each year. Throughout Britain during October, you will come across piles of wood being stacked in fields, parks or streets, ready for the big night. Children also get into the spirit of it all by making an effigy of Fawkes or “guy’ as it has become known. It is customary to display your guy on the sidewalk outside a store and ask passersby for money – “a penny for the guy, please!” is a popular request. Shops sell fireworks and people start to prepare traditional bonfire food – treacle tart and “parkin” a sort of traditional sweet cake. Roasted chestnuts are also popular – and of course, all the hot cocoa you can drink. Towns, villages and communities work together to make it a night to remember – especially for the children.
If you happen to be in Britain on November 5th, a visit to a bonfire night celebration is an experience not to be missed. You can find bonfires today all over Britain, from the smallest hamlet to the largest city, but the largest and most famous celebrations are held every year in the town of Lewes, East Sussex, about 50 miles south of London. The town actually has different bonfire societies that try to outdo each other with their bonfires, fireworks and fancy dress competitions. Huge effigies of Guy Fawkes are carried through the town by thousands of people wielding burning torches, turning the streets into rivers of flame. In addition to the usual bonfire, the town of Bridgewater in Somerset, West England hosts a huge carnival and nighttime procession through the town – calling itself the largest illuminated carnival in the world.
Not to be outdone, London also hosts a series of spectacular bonfires in its many parks and open spaces every November 5th. One of the best fireworks displays takes place at Alexandra Palace, a huge Victorian structure overlooking the leafy suburbs of North London. Here as well as fireworks which have lit up the skies over London for over a 100 years, you can listen to live music and sample an ice rink and an inside funfair.
Bonfire night is popular not only in Britain – today Bonfire Night is celebrated in New Zealand and parts of Canada. In the late 18th century, Bonfire Night was known as “Pope Day” and celebrated in parts of New England.
400 Years Later
Today, you can still see the place where Guy Fawkes was executed by hanging, in the Old Palace yard adjoining the Palace of Westminster – ironically just a few yards from where he intended to detonate tons of explosive. There is also a small exhibition about the plot on display in the medieval Westminster Hall, one of the few parts of the Palace of Westminster that remains unchanged since that day. One of the rather gruesome displays depicts Fawkes’ severed head, along with the heads of the other plotters that were displayed upon spikes throughout London.
And today – 400 years later - the Palace guards still search the cellars of the Houses of Parliament before every state opening of Parliament to make sure there are no explosives hidden there – although one hopes this is carried out as a quaint custom rather than an actual deterrent.