For fans of the comic and film V for Vendetta, the Fifth of November is instantly recognizable. However, this day, celebrated in the UK as Guy Fawkes Day or Bonfire Night, is a complex holiday—especially when viewed through an American lens.
Unlike the American tradition of celebrating a successful overthrow of a government, the Fifth of November commemorates the prevention of one.
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605
On November 5, 1605, a group of Catholic conspirators, notably led by Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament. Their goal was to assassinate Protestant King James I and instigate a revolt. The plot was discovered, Fawkes was captured, and the attack was thwarted.
In Britain, the annual celebration is not to honor the attempted revolt, but to mark the fact that the government and the King were saved.
We might think politics are bad in the U.S., but we certainly don’t have a national day set aside to celebrate catching a guy who tried to blow up Congress!
A National Celebration
Today, Bonfire Night is a major British celebration featuring:
- Bonfires: Effigies of Guy Fawkes are traditionally burned on a large bonfire.
- Fireworks: Elaborate displays light up the night.
- The Rhyme: The historical events are famously summarized in the children’s folk verse:
“Remember, remember, the fifth of November, The Gunpowder Treason and plot. I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason Should ever be forgot.”
Stay Geeky!
