Guy Fawkes Night 2026: Bonfire Night History, Traditions and Facts

Guy Fawkes Night, also called Bonfire Night, takes place every year on November 5 in the United Kingdom. Towns and families light bonfires, set off fireworks and remember the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when a group of plotters tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament.

The Story of the Gunpowder Plot

In 1605, a group of Catholic conspirators led by Robert Catesby planned to kill the Protestant King James I by blowing up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament. They hid 36 barrels of gunpowder in a cellar below the building. Guy Fawkes, who had experience with explosives, was guarding the gunpowder when he was caught around midnight on the night of 4–5 November 1605.

News that the King had survived spread quickly, and people in London lit bonfires to celebrate. A year later, Parliament passed the Observance of 5th November Act 1606, which made the day an official day of thanksgiving. The law was repealed in 1859, but the bonfires and fireworks never stopped.

Date	Event
May 1604	The plotters first meet in London
26 Oct 1605	Lord Monteagle receives an anonymous warning letter
5 Nov 1605	Guy Fawkes is arrested in the cellar under the House of Lords
Jan 1606	The surviving plotters are tried and executed
1606	The Observance of 5th November Act is passed

How Bonfire Night Is Celebrated Today

• Bonfires: large public bonfires are built in parks and village greens.
• Fireworks: organised displays light up the sky across the country.
• The “guy”: some places still burn a straw effigy, called a guy, on the bonfire.
• Food: toffee apples, parkin (a sticky ginger cake), bonfire toffee, jacket potatoes and hot soup.
• Lewes Bonfire: the town of Lewes in East Sussex is famous for its huge torch-lit processions.

The old rhyme “Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot” is still taught to children.

Bonfire Night Safety Tips

1. Go to an organised public display if you can.
2. Keep pets indoors with windows and curtains closed.
3. Light fireworks at arm’s length and never go back to a lit firework.
4. Supervise children with sparklers and give them gloves.
5. Check bonfire piles for hedgehogs before lighting them.

Bonfire Night Messages

• Remember, remember the fifth of November! Have a safe and sparkly Bonfire Night.
• Wishing you warm bonfires, bright fireworks and lots of toffee apples.
• Happy Guy Fawkes Night! Stay safe and enjoy the show.
• May your night be full of light, laughter and good friends.

Fun Facts

• Before every State Opening of Parliament, the Yeomen of the Guard still search the cellars.
• Guy Fawkes used the name “John Johnson” when he was arrested.
• Bonfire Night is also celebrated in parts of New Zealand, Newfoundland and some Caribbean islands.
• The Guy Fawkes mask became a protest symbol after the film “V for Vendetta”.

👉 Also read: Happy Halloween Day: History and Ideas

Frequently Asked Questions