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.

Bonfire night. Usually go down the town RFC to watch some whizzbangers and a fire, and you can buy food like pork rolls/jacket potatoes and coffee. I go every year

That's actually a really good point about supermarkets missing a trick and not monetising it like they do for everything else.

I hate bonfire night as I don’t like fireworks scaring some people and animals. Hopefully it’s dying out.

I was raised in the North East. We had bonfire night. Jacket potatoes and marshmallows. That was back in the 80s. They'd have a Guy on the bonfire.
I'm now in East Anglia. We also have bonfire night here. And fireworks. They still chuck a Guy on the fire.

The West Country has Squibbing and Tar Barrels. Both are nuts.

SW London. The park will have fireworks, bonfire and a small fairground. Some schools will also do fireworks. When kids were small we went to the big displays. This year I'm going to the ABBA show so will miss it.

Is it more demographic than regional?

Bonfire night was huge when I was young. We made toffee, made a guy and a bonfire, had sparklers and either went to a display or had fireworks at home. As teens groups of us would go to a display together.

No one seems to do a bonfire now and I don't see any enthusiasm for the occasion from my teens and young adult children. Is it because fireworks on their own are over too quickly to be worth the bother and maybe don't compare to other entertainment easily accessible to today's young people?

The will still be loads of fireworks all around us for a week though. I just don't think it's young people getting involved.

A couple of years ago I actual ran on the evening of Nov 5 with a dutchman. He'd never seen anything like it.

We usually make a guy and have fireworks in the garden (South East).

Bonfire night in NE England. Now live in Yorkshire and the Councils have cancelled the organised fire work displays. I find it worrying that more people will sent their own fireworks (can actually here some already tonight).

im less surprised that youngsters prefer Halloween if it involves a party or getting sweets.

Bonfire night and fireworks...loads of 'em.

And flu jab day.

I’m having to work, it’s most unusual that I work on a Saturday, but it’s going to happen

I grew up in Sussex so I'm used to burning torches flaming tar barrels and stripy jumpers ( as well as the guy)
I was in Hastings on Saturday and was literally putting out the sparks landing on my sleeve - but a great parade .
( ironically they then scaled back the fireworks - due to health and safety concerns 😂)

Bonfire night of course, I've lived in the se, east anglia, midlands and sw all have guy Fawkes or colloquially bonfire/fireworks night though there's a few extras in certain towns

Bonfire night, my daughter is getting married that day and we are having fireworks followed by pizza!

My town has a communal bonfire still

I’ve lived in London, Surrey, Sussex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk. We live near a load of American bases but all the kids know what Bonfire Night is, including the American kids - they think it’s fun!

Where on earth do your relatives live??

I'm from Yorkshire and I grew up knowing it as plot night and I learned about Guy Fawkes in primary school. My nieces and nephews "celebrate" bonfire night by going to a fireworks and bonfire display, pie and peas etc but I don't think they know much about the reason behind it.

I meant to say but it disappeared, all of those places have done a community bonfire night, with bonfire, fireworks and food.

I have lived all over the uk and have always managed to go to a proper bonfire and fireworks display.

I am back in my home town in West Yorkshire though and the kids primary school put on a massive bonfire and firework display. They sell pie and peas (with mint sauce), hotdogs, burgers and mulled wine and other drinks.

It's always so busy and everyone has a great time. Raises kids for the school too.

Our children are 6 and 8 and the eldest has known all about the reason behind it for years. Not sure the youngest knows much details yet but she knows what the day is.

I'm very surprised to hear it's not still going on everywhere. Halloweeen is big too but we can do both!

I'd call it Bonfire Night

And I've just had a look and can't find a display nearby (there used to be one at the rugby club - free, but sold beer and scuzzy burgers and passed a charity bucket round). Shame.

Nearest seems to be a much more posh-sounding one in a stately pile.

Bonfire night it's called in the north
Usually celebrated by firework displays at organised events across the region along with burger/hotdog trailers and jacket potatoes.

erm, it doesnt end with Lewes - South Heighton is the Saturday after Lewes
southheighton.org/bonfire/home-page/

I think there may be one or two after this as well - but I'm South Heighton and we kind of stop then

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sussex_Bonfire_Societies

I worked for a Catholic family who did not celebrate Bonfire night as they felt burning effigies of the pope was in poor taste and didn't reflect their beliefs.

I live in the north of Ireland so everyone is very excited for Halloween and have no idea about bonfire night