What happens on Nov 5th?

[YourVagesty]

A regional question!

I asked two young relatives from the other side of the country (keeping this deliberately vague because I want to know what you'd say) what they are doing for 'Bonfire Night' and they stared at me blankly.

Even after I'd explained, they still didn't seem to register any recognition of the story of Guy Fawkes, which to me, is mental.

So here's my question - is Nov 5th marked in your neck of the woods and if so, what do you call it?

I had no idea there might be regional variation with this one so I'm kind of fascinated.

Alternatively, my relatives might just be being thick as bricks. I guess I'm about to find out.

Guy Fawkes isn't celebrated, its the anniversary of his attempt to blow up parliament. We are celebrating his capture and failed plot.

As a child on the outskirts of London.... fireworks and writing your name with sparklers in the garden at home, baked potatoes done in the bonfire & burning a guy made of old clothes and newspaper on the bonfire(!) If you were a bit entrepreneurial you'd wheel it round in an old pram for a week getting people to give you a penny for the guy.

Definitely Bonfire Night in our house, but it's dying out here in London in favour of Halloween which young people seem more interested in.
The nearest Saturday would be a fireworks display somewhere, but I think most people would describe that as "Fireworks Night" (rather than Bonfire or Guy Fawkes). I'm not surprised if younger children don't know who Guy Fawkes was.

It's a good few years since I've seen anybody doing Penny for the Guy.

What a pity that our traditions are being forgotten. Oh well.

I think it's rather weird they don't know it's Bonfire Night.

I've lived all round the country and it's been Bonfire Night everywhere. My kids also know it's Bonfire Night, and they're 8 and 9.

@Annoyed200722 What part of the country are you in? Sounds amazing!

@EndlessMagpies I know! That's what I thought. What are the teachers teaching them?! It's a key part of British history.

Daft question, but do we celebrate the fact he was caught, or the fact of what he was trying to do.?

I think some of it is regional, and some of it is generational - I grew up in Sussex, and Halloween was something you did maybe in Brownies, bobbing for apples and throwing orange peel to predict your future husband, but Bonfire Night was the big celebration.

We’re in London now, and Halloween is the big one for DS (5), Bonfire Night is ok but a bit noisy and really aimed at older teens going out with their friends. There is a fireworks display near us, but DS has said he doesn’t really want to go. But he desperately wants to go trick or treating like they do on the Paw Patrol Halloween specials.

Caught.

EightMonthsScared Sussex

I'm in my early 50s, I've lived in many parts of England and Wales, and it's always Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night.

We’re celebrating that he failed to blow up parliament and the King.

Fireworks night/bonfire night here in London but my 8 year old is far more excited about Halloween ..

I’m northern but I’d never heard of mischief night until I moved to where I now live (different county).

@TooHotToRamble haha! Oh dear 😁

Let's add that to the question list - what did you call Knock Down Run? 🤔

Yes agreed. No penny for the guy or black toffee or family and friends type bonfires anymore.
There’s always a of charity bonfire in the towns villages but bonfire night nothing more than a money raising exercise these days.

Bonfire or Fireworks Night here in the South West, although I haven't seen a bonfire in about 20 years. I thought they must have been banned for safety reasons. DD10 has heard of Guy Fawkes but can't remember who he is.

I wonder if for youngsters that Halloween is a bigger festival than bonfire night ? Since having my dog, I'm no fan of fireworks, but you certainly couldn't miss all the fireworks being set off in our neighbourhood around the beginning of November.

I remember DS learning about Guy Fawkes when he was around 5. He seemed to have picked up an understanding that Catholics were dangerous people ... I think his teacher had tried to explain issues too complex for a 5 year old to understand.

Bonfire night with fireworks shows
Also my dds birthday!

Bonfire or fireworks night here in my part of Scotland, although only a few places have a bonfire it’s mostly fireworks.

We only had fireworks on Guy Fawkes night when I was a kid (I remember when all this was fields etc) now it's for weddings, world cups, new year, Eid, Diwali.

Like hot cross buns, once you get this stuff all year round it loses it's impact.

We call it bonfire night although only a few places have actual bonfires these days.

We go to a fireworks display & have hotdogs for tea.

In one of the villages near us, they carry tar barrels through the streets! Completely bonkers!

I agree that Halloween is sadly dominating and we are losing the fun and enjoyment of Bonfire Night. It was always a big party for our family, less so now the children are all grown up and dispersed.
For us it was a garden bonfire, a few fireworks (definitely sparklers!), Jacket potatoes and hot dogs, and mushy peas with vinegar (food of the Gods!). Apple pie or crumble and chocolate bark for afters and cinder toffee in paper bags.
My brother and I were saying a couple of weeks ago that we are surprised it hasn't been monetised as much as everything else the supermarkets try to sell us ...build your own houses of parliament kits to blow up? Penny for the Guy signs? Make your own Guy Fawkes kits? Guy Fawkes masks and costumes? Thinking about the terrible tat that gets flogged for everything else, they're missing a trick.

I remember DS learning about Guy Fawkes when he was around 5. He seemed to have picked up an understanding that Catholics were dangerous people ... I think his teacher had tried to explain issues too complex for a 5 year old to understand.

I know you probably didn't intend this, but I literally laughed out loud at the above. 😂😂 Those dastardly Catholics!