Bonfire Night

 

5 Nov Bonfire night:

What do English people celebrate on 5 Nov?

What did Guy Fawkes plan to do? Was he successful?

What do English people do on Guy Fawkes night?

VIDEOS 

BBC footage of a real Bonfire night with description

Stories from parliament: part 1 part 2 

Bonfire night History

What is bonfire night?

ESL Video

BBC Teach

History of Guy Fawkes night

http://www.multimedia-english.com/videos/tag/guy-fawkes-85

 

Guy Fawkes was a Roman Catholic born in the 16th century. He was involved in a plot to kill the Protestant King James I and his ministers. He and his fellow conspirators planned to do this by using huge amounts of gunpowder to blow up the Houses of Parliament on the banks of the Thames in London. Parliament was traditionally opened by the king in a special ceremony. (The same ceremony still takes place today). The killing was planned for November 5th1605. However, the plot was discovered at the last minute. Guy Fawkes and his cronies were arrested. In January 1606 they were executed. Not everyone in Britain knows about the plot to kill King James 1 but all Britons know that, every year, the night of November 5th is Guy Fawkes Night. It is one of Britain’s most popular festivals. It is also known as Bonfire Night because it is a tradition to burn a large pile of wood or ‘bonfire’. On top of the bonfire a‘Guy’ or model of Guy Fawkes is placed. People get together with their friends and have firework parties. Although the festival is associated with Guy Fawkes and the so-called Gunpowder Plot, the building of bonfires and burning of an effigy probably goes back thousands of years to pagan religions. Guy Fawkes Night is especially popular with children. In the weeks before November 5th they make a model ‘guy’, put it outside on the street, and ask passers-by for a ‘penny for the guy’– money to buy fireworks. There are many different types of fireworks, for example, ‘rockets’ that fly into the air,‘crackers’ that jump around on the ground and make a terrible noise, and‘Catherine wheels’ that spin around and form beautiful circles of colour. It is unlikely that people will ever completely forget that Guy Fawkes Night has its origins in a rather sinister historic event. Most British people still know the first lines of a rhyme that was traditionally taught in schools. It goes like this: Remember, remember, the Fifth of November,Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot! I know of no reason. Why the Gunpowder treason. Should ever be forgot!