Guy Fawkes Night is coming up on 5 November with bonfires and firework displays set to light up skies across the UK!
Guy Fawkes Night, otherwise known as Bonfire Night, takes place every year on 5 November. But where does it get its name?
Guy Fawkes was a member of the ‘Gunpowder Plot’, who planned to assassinate King James I in the House of Lords on the state opening of Parliament.
King James I was King of Scotland when he inherited the English crown from Elizabeth I. During the Tudor dynasty, the official religion of England was changed from Catholic to Protestant (Henry VIII), Protestant to Catholic (Mary I), and Catholic to Protestant (Elizabeth I).
King James I was another protestant monarch, which the Catholics in the country saw as a threat to their way of life. As such, the Gunpowder Plotters recruited a team of conspirators who aimed to kill King James I and other relatives and members of the Privy Council before installing his daughter Elizabeth as a Catholic monarch. The plot involved blowing up gunpowder from the cellar beneath the House of Lords.
The plan was nearly successful in its aims, however Guy Fawkes was caught in the cellar with torchwood and 36 barrels of gunpowder. He was subsequently tried for treason and hung, drawn and quartered for his role in the plot to assassinate the King.
In an outpouring of emotion, it was reported that citizens took to the streets to celebrate the King surviving by lighting bonfires around London.
These celebrations have continued to this day with bonfires and firework displays taking place across the country.
Want to get involved? Here are our top ideas for celebrating Guy Fawkes Night:
You can find out more about Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot on the UK Parliament website.
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