Remember, remember the fifth of November. Bonfire Night is a British tradition celebrated each year on 5 November. It is also known as Guy Fawkes’ Night.
Bonfire Night is an event to celebrate the anniversary the famous event in British history of an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament, known as the Gunpowder Plot.
Gunpowder Plot
In 1605, Guy (Guido) Fawkes was part of this Gunpowder Plot. The plan was to blow up King James I and his government. This was because England was a Protestant country and the plotters were Catholic. The plotters wanted England to be Catholic again, and they thought they could achieve this if they killed King James I and his ministers.
The conspirators put barrels of gunpowder underneath the Houses of Parliament. However, the plot was foiled after one of the group sent a letter warning a friend who worked in Parliament to stay away on 5 November. King’s supporters came into possession of the letter and guards arrested the plotters in the cellars underneath Parliament.
Teaching resources
There are numerous options for teaching the history of the Gunpwder Plot in schools. Various lesson plans, presentations and resources are available here:
There is also a video available here:
Keep pets safe and happy during fireworks
Please also remember to keep pets safe on Bonfire Night. Animal charities such as the PDSA say that the loud bangs and bright lights of fireworks can make animals anxious. Further details on how to keep your pets safe can be found on the BBC website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/37836124 .