Bonfire Night 2017

Bonfire Night 2017

Beautiful firework coloured the London skies on bonfire night last Sunday. This annual commemoration, also known as Guy Fawkes Night is always widely celebrated in London and probably a lot of you noticed this. However, as not many people don’t know the story behind this night full of fireworks and celebration, here a brief history lesson on Bonfire Night, and where it comes from.

It all began in 1605, when a man with the name Guy Fawkes was guarding some barrels filled with gunpowder underneath the House of Lords. This wasn’t a very usual situation; the barrels were there with a specific reason. A group of provincial English Catholics planted them intentionally to blow up the house and a specific target. This person who they were trying to assassinate was Protestant King James I. Back in 1605, there was a lot of tension between the Protestant Church and Catholic Church. Which resulted in actions as ‘the gunpowder plot’ as this attempt was called. As King James I, was a Protestant King, these group of Catholics would love to see him disappear. The aim of the assassination was to replace him with a Catholic head of state. However, everything did not go as planned. The idea was to blow up the house during the state opening of England’s parliament. However, someone send an anonymous letter saying that someone should have a look at the House of Lords on the 4th of November around midnight.

Guy Fawkes who was assigned to guard the gunpowder during this time got discovered and arrested by the police and so King James I was unharmed. When the citizens from London at that time got to know about the failed assassination, they decided to celebrate the fact that King James I was still alive and Guy Fawkes was arrested by starting to light bonfires around the city. Over the years the bonfires made place for fireworks. The night is still widely celebrated in England and London as you have probably noticed. Hopefully now you know why you watched all this amazing fireworks the other night.