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Thanks to Guy Fawkes' attempt to kill James I, Londoners have another reason to set off fireworks and eat festive toffees.

Thousands of fireworks light up London on the 5th of November, known as Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Day, in celebration of the protestant King James' assassination attempt on the same day in 1605. Today, the night is celebrated with parades, fireworks, bonfires, and festive food.

Guy Fawkes Day History and Tradition

A group of Catholics led by Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the House of Parliament and finally kill the King. Luckily for the latter, the rebellious? group was revealed, the lawless soldier was burnt alive, and the King initiated celebrations as a token of gratitude for his salvation. Over the decades, various forms of celebration have become widespread, including bonfires, bell ringing, and sometimes official artillery salutes.

In particular, in 1910, fireworks manufacturers began referring to the celebration as ‘Fireworks Night’ to boost their sales. At the same time, children started to create a Guy Fawkes effigy. They carried a puppet around the streets, asking for ‘a penny for the Guy’ to raise money for fireworks. During the 20th century, Fireworks Night became synonymous with Guy Fawkes Day.

Modern Bonfire Night Celebration

Today's celebration highlights include the burning of Guy Fawkes puppets, setting off fireworks, lighting bonfires, and feasting on typical snacks. Some of the most typical food for the Bonfire Night is toffee itself as well as toffee apples, gingerbread, soups to warm up, baked potatoes, and marshmallow skewers roasted over the fire.

The Bonfire Night became a more family-friendly event, with kids wearing Guy Fawkes masks or moving around his puppet and saying ‘a penny for the guy’. Despite this, November 5 has now lost its religious meaning and has been overtaken by Halloween as the UK’s premier autumn celebration.

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