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Celebrate Bonfire Night In Style

Remember remember the fifth of November – but ever wondered why exactly?! Well, to save your brain from thinking too much – I’ve done the hard work for you and done some research to find out why we celebrate the way we do (because it’s mostly Brits who celebrate you know along with some of the former British Colonies). Below you will find information on Bonfire Night and the reasons why we celebrate followed by some great tips to make your night go with a bang this year (sorry about the pun I couldn’t resist!)

History of the Night
Now, I don’t want to bore you with a history lesson but this is really quite a good story and it goes a little something like this:
Once upon a time, (the year 1605 to be precise) there was a young man named Guy Fawkes (who went to my school incidentally!) anyway, he joined forces with a group of Catholic conspirators led by Robert Catesby. The group hatched a plan to kill the Protestant King James I along with his family and most of the Protestant Aristocracy by blowing up The Houses of Parliament during State Opening. The plot was in planning for over a year and involved the plotters filling one of the cellars under The House of Lords with 36 barrels of gunpowder. Fawkes was given the job of lighting the fires on the night whilst the other plotters waited at home for news. (Nice work if you can get it!) This however is probably why Fawkes is the most infamous of the conspirators. Just before the plot was set to be executed – one of the group sent a letter to his cousin to warn him to leave Parliament at pains of death stating: 'I advise you to devise some excuse not to attend this parliament, for they shall receive a terrible blow, and yet shall not see who hurts them'. (subtle!) This lead to suspicion (surprisingly!) and the vaults were searched. Fawkes was discovered at midnight on 5th November surrounded by barrels of gunpowder, guarding a pile of twigs with a watch, matches and torchpaper on his person. He was, of course arrested and the plot failed. Fawkes was taken to the tower of London where he was tortured; for 4 or 5 days he said nothing and it was only when he heard that the other conspirators had been captured that he revealed their names. The group were found guilty of treason and were sentenced to be hung drawn and quartered - I’m afraid to say this tale did not end happily ever after.

Traditional Celebrations
The night has been celebrated since as a thank you to God for saving the King – fireworks are let off to remember the gunpowder plot, bonfires are built and ‘guys’ are thrown on top. This traditional rhyme was also sung:

            Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
            the Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
            I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.
            Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent to blow up King and Parliament.
            Three-score barrels were laid below to prove old England's overthrow;
            By God's mercy he was catch'd with a dark lantern and lighted match.
            Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
            Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
            Hip hip hoorah!

In recent years there has been much dispute about whether fireworks should be available to the public; they are banned in Australia as they are thought to be a risk and in the UK it is now illegal to buy fireworks if you are under 18 and there is are also limitations on types of fireworks available for personal use.

Safety
It is important to keep safe on Bonfire Night and it’s advisable to attend a public display. If you’re determined to have a party at home though make sure you are aware of how to look your guests.
Basic Tips:

• Keep all pets and animals indoors and ensure that children are supervised
• Keep fireworks in a sealed box and use them one at a time
• Read instructions on fireworks carefully use a torch and never a naked flame.
• Light fireworks at arm's length, use a firework lighter so that you can stand well back.
• Never return to a firework after it has been lit.
• Never throw fireworks or put them in your pockets.
• Never put fireworks onto a bonfire.
• Don't drink alcohol if you're in charge of the display.

Please be aware that these are just the basic tips and there is a lot more you should know if you are planning on using fireworks on your own such as first aid information and information on purchasing the right sparks for your needs. I have provided some links at the bottom of the page which are a must for anyone going it alone.

Celebrate In Style
As mentioned above I advise going to an organised display – not only is it put together by professionals and so is bound to be safer than your own back yard – it’s bound to be a lot more spectacular too! Professionals can legally buy bigger and better fireworks so you’re guaranteed to see a good display – plus, the atmosphere is normally great and you can huddle together with the vast crowds for warmth! That doesn’t mean you can’t start things off at home first though – Bonfire Night is a great night for all the family so leave work early, invite your friends around and have a great time before you head out to watch the display. Here are some great and traditional ways to celebrate at home.

Toffee Apples: Toffee apples are a firm favourite of mine on Bonfire Night (well, the toffee bit is anyway – I’ve never normally got room for the apple!) – they are apples which are coated in sugar, or chocolate, or nuts or some other sugary goodness. Toffee apples or candy apples are traditional in Western celebrations around Autumn due to the start of the apple harvest that coincides - in the US, toffee apples are eaten at Halloween. You can make toffee apples yourself or you can not waste time and just buy them in a shop which is of course what I choose to do!!

Toasty Roasty’s: I mean potatoes!! Well, baked potatoes to be more precise. These are a great meal for bonfire night and a cheap way to feed the masses. If you can be bothered to dig out the barbeque you can cook them on there (microwave them to par-cook them first mind or you’ll be there for hours!!) A great filling for baked potatoes on a cold night is chilli and is again a nice easy meal to cook on mass!

Chocolate Bananas: Ok, probably only traditional in my house but if you’ve got the barbeque out you might as well! They are dead easy to make – put a slit in a banana lengthways to make a little opening the stuff in a few squares of chocolate – or to make life simpler a good helping of chocolate spread – wrap them in tin foil and toast them until they are all warm and gooey and chocolaty and amazing!

Sparklers: So, aside from food (which you can probably tell I like almost as much as partying!) sparklers are a great way to celebrate bonfire night at home. Again though there are certain precautions to be aware of:

• Never hold a baby or child if you have a sparkler in your hand.
• Plunge finished sparklers hot end down into a bucket of water as soon as they have burnt out. They can stay hot for a surprisingly long time.
• Don't take sparklers to public displays as it will be too crowded to use them safely.
• Avoid dressing children (or adults) in loose or flowing clothes – tunics may be fashionable but they also may catch light.
• Show children (and again some adults!) how to hold sparklers - away from their body and at arm's length.
• Do not wave sparklers near anyone else or run while holding them.
• Wear gloves when handling sparklers – its better to be safe than sorry.

Wherever you spend your Bonfire Night this year remember to wrap up warm, stay safe and have a ball!

O'Leary's Links
Bonfire Night Safety - Read about how to stay safe from those lovely chaps the Firemen
First Aid - Make sure you know how to deal with burns with the St John's Ambulance Crew
Firework Laws - Make sure you know what your allowed to buy and how to store fireworks correctly