Bonfire night is a celebration that takes place on November 5th.
It can also be known as Guy Fawkes night or Fireworks night.
Three things make Bonfire Night special;
1. There is a blazing bonfire that lights up the November sky.
2. There is a ‘dummy’ or Guy that sits on top of the bonfire.
3. There are fantastic fireworks that add sparkling lights and
sound effects to the celebrations as the whistle, screech and bang
into the air.
Celebrations on 5th November remember an event
that happened in 1605. On that day the lives of King
James and his parliament were in danger as a plot to
blow them up was discovered. Guy Fawkes was
caught in the cellar with barrels of gunpowder.
Here is a famous children’s rhyme about Guy Fawkes;
Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason, why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes
'Twas his intent
To blow up the houses of parliament,
Three score barrels of powder below
Poor old England to overthrow.
By God’s providence, he was catched
With a dark lantern and a burning match!
The leader of the plot to blow up the King was not Guy Fawkes
but a man called Robert Catesby. His plan was to rent a house next
door to the Houses of Parliament and dig an underground tunnel
leading into the cellar of the Parliament buildings. They would
then use the gunpowder to blow the buildings up.
The men rented the house and started to dig a tunnel. They stored
36 barrels of gunpowder in the cellar ready for the state opening
on November 5th. They covered it with firewood to hide it from
the soldiers and Lord Mounteagle. At first they didn’t see it, but
then the soldiers came and the plot was uncovered.
Guy Fawkes was discovered with barrels of gunpowder. He was
not the leader of the plot, but he was an expert with gunpowder.
Guy was in fact his nick name. His real name was Guido.
Guido was born in York and went to St. Peter’s School. He
made friends with two brothers at school, John and Christopher
Wright, years later they all became members of the Gunpowder
Plot. When Guido left school he became a soldier. While he
was fighting in Spain he learnt how to use gunpowder.
After he had been captured by the Lord Chancellor and the
Lord Mounteagle, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London
and tortured but he would not give the names of the other
plotters. They were all eventually caught and found guilty of
treason and killed. Their heads were cut off and left on top of
wooden poles in the centre of London.
At one time in the days leading up to Bonfire Night, children
could be seen on street corners asking anyone who passed to give
a ‘penny for the Guy’. The children made a stuffed dummy using
old clothes, newspaper and sometimes straw. The dummy often
wore a mask and was sat in a wheelbarrow. The dummy
represented Guy Fawkes. It would be burnt on the bonfire on
November 5th.
Begging for a penny for the guy was a way in which children
could collect money to buy fireworks. Children under 18 are no
longer allowed to buy fireworks so the custom of penny for the
guy has started to die out. Sometimes, Guys are made to collect
money for charity.
The Celts used
to have a
celebration
called Samhain
which means
Summer’s end.It
was at the end of
October or the
beginning of
November. They
also lit huge
bonfires and had
torchlight
processions.
An ancient Christian
festival involving fire
and fireworks was held
hundreds of years ago
in November. It was in
memory of St.
Catherine who was put
to death on a spiked
wheel. We now have
wheel shaped
firecrackers called
Catherine Wheels.
Bonfire Night
was first
celebrated in
1606 on the
anniversary
of the plot to
kill King
James.
The first fireworks
were made in China
nearly 2000 years
ago. They were
made using pieces
of hollow bamboo
to hold the
gunpowder in and
were known as
‘firecrackers’.
Fireworks used to
be used at religious
ceremonies in
China.
The famous explorer
Marco Polo was said
to have brought
fireworks to Europe.
Florence, a city in
Italy became the
place where most
fireworks were
made. The first
recorded use of
fireworks in England
was in 1486 at the
wedding of King
Henry VII.
The first fireworks
were only gold
and silver. They
were very popular
by the time of
King Henry VIII
and Elizabeth I
had a master to
organise her
fireworks events.
Her displays could
be 183 metres
long and 27
metres high.
Over 130
million
fireworks were
sold in Britain
last year
Last year there
were over 1500
recorded
accidents
involving
fireworks.
At family
garden displays,
sparklers cause
more injuries
than any other
firework.
The majority of
firework
accident happen
to children
under 14.
Three sparklers
burning together
create the same
heat as a blow
torch.
Throwing a
firework is a
criminal offence
with a fine of
£5000
Fireworks look beautiful, but they can be very dangerous. You
should follow these rules when using fireworks;
Never go near or use fireworks without an adult.
Keep fireworks in a box or tin and get them out one at a time.
Keep a bucket of water close by.
Follow the instructions on each firework carefully.
Direct fireworks away from people watching.
Use a taper or firework lighter and light them at arms length.
Do not return to a firework even if it looks like it has gone out.
Do not throw fireworks or put them in your pocket.
Keep pets indoors
Stand well back
Sparklers are viewed as harmless
but they burn at high temperatures.
Make sure bonfires are well away
from houses and trees.
Wear gloves and hold it at arms
length.
Never use flammable liquids like
petrol to get a bonfire going.
Never wave sparklers at other
people, you could burn them.
Before lighting a bonfire check there
are no animals hiding in it.
When the sparkler has finished put
it into a bucket of water or sand and
leave it there.
Light the bonfire after the fireworks
have gone off.
Don’t throw anything onto a bonfire.
If someone’s clothes catch fire
remember…
STOP don’t run
DROP to the ground
ROLL over to smother the flames
Fireworks make loud noises when they fly into the sky. Look are
the sounds below. We call sound words ONOMATEOPIA words
crash
bang
blast
whizz
fizz
crackle
snap
pop
whirl
sizzle
boom
whoosh
Can you make up a fireworks poem using these words?
Try reading this one first!
The fire was burning orange and bright,
The sparks were jumping into the night,
Crackling, spitting, hissing and popping,
Flames were leaping, dancing and bopping.
Catherine wheels whizzed around and around
Leaving a trail of sparks on the ground
Up go rockets, way up high
Into the depths of the black night sky.
With a sizzle and a sudden great boom,
A speeding rocket goes up high, BOOM!
For a awhile it went silent, many did cower,
Until down on the crowds came a bright colourful shower.
Screamers whizzed and bangers banged,
Sparklers sparkled, where did the sparks land?
A night full of surprises, excitement and fun,
Without Guy Fawkes, what would we have done?