ENGLISH ROSE LEARNING HALLOWEEN BONFIRE NIGHT Bonfire Night is a traditional British celebration, also known as Guy Fawkes’ Night. Every 5 November, bonfires are lit and firework dis- plays are held to remember an unsuccessful plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill the king in 1605. These activities are designed to inform students about the history of this celebration, the people involved and traditions which are prac- tised today. In this lesson you’ll learn: What is the Bonfire Night People behind the gunpowder plot Bonfire Night celebrations Guy Fawkes Bonfire Night Recipes Remember, remember the fifth November… What is Bonfire Night? This was because of religion. England was a Protest- Guards broke into the cellars where the gunpowder ant country and the plotters were Catholic. They plotters were waiting. They were arrested and ex- On 5 November, people across the UK celebrate wanted England to be Catholic again, which they ecuted. Bonfire Night with fireworks, bonfires, sparklers and thought they could do if they killed King James I and toffee apples. his ministers. Some might have small fireworks parties in their back So, Fawkes and his group put 36 barrels of gun- gardens, while towns and villages may put on organ- powder in cellars underneath the Houses of Parlia- ised displays in public parks. ment in London, ready to set off a massive explosion. The reason we do it is because it's the anniversary of However, one an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament. m e m b e r o f Fawkes' group This was called the Gunpowder Plot. sent a letter to his friend who When we light bonfires to remember this event, tradi- worked in Par- tionally there will be a dummy man on the top of liament, warn- them. ing him to stay a w a y o n 5 He is called the 'Guy' and is a kind of doll that rep- November. resents a man who was part of the plot, called Guy Fawkes. T h e K i n g ' s supporters got What was the Gunpowder Plot? hold of the let- Guy (Guido) Fawkes was part of the Gunpowder plot ter and the plot in 1605. He wanted to blow up King James I and his was rumbled! government. People behind the Gunpowder plot Guy Fawkes is the name associated above all others with the infamous Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Perhaps because he was the one caught red-handed, he's become our Bonfire Night 'celebrity'. But what of the other men involved? Thomas and Robert Winter Francis Tresham Thomas Winter was among the first to be drawn into the plot. His brother Robert The most reluctant of the conspirators, it may have been Tresham who sent the was recruited later. It was Thomas who tried to get the conspirators to abandon the Monteagle letter warning his brother-in-law not to attend Parliament plot when he realised that it had been discovered. Thomas Percy Robert Keyes and John Grant Percy was a violent, wild character. He was married to Christopher and John's sis- ter, Martha and came from a very wealthy, powerful family Keyes looked after the gunpowder and Grant bought weapons for the conspirators. John and Christopher Wright Thomas Bates, Ambrose Rookwood and Sir Everard Digby These brothers were viewed as dangerous Catholics by the authorities before they had even been drawn into the plot Thomas Bates was Catesby's servant. Rookwood and Digby were both brought into the plot because of their money Guy Fawkes Robert Catesby Recruited as the gunpowder expert, Guy Fawkes was caught red-handed in the Find out how Catesby became the charismatic mastermind of the Gunpowder Plot basement storeroom under the House of Lords with the barrels of gunpowder on the 5 November 1605 Bonfire Night Celebrations For 400 years, bonfires have burned on Novem- ber 5th to mark the failed Gunpowder Plot. just made, and The tradition of Guy Fawkes-related bonfires actually beg passersby began the very same year as the failed coup. The for "a penny for Plot was foiled in the night between the 4th and 5th the Guy." The of November 1605. Already on the 5th, agitated Lon- k i d s u s e t h e doners who knew little more than that their King had money to buy been saved, joyfully lit bonfires in thanksgiving. As fireworks for the years progressed, however, the ritual became more evening festivit- elaborate. ies. Soon, people began placing effigies onto bonfires, On the night it- and fireworks were added to the celebrations. Effigies s e l f , G u y i s of Guy Fawkes, and sometimes those of the Pope, placed on top of graced the pyres. Still today, some communities t h e b o n fi r e , throw dummies of both Guy Fawkes and the Pope on which is then set Bonfire Night is not only celebrated in Britain. The the bonfire (and even those of a contemporary politi- alight; and fireworks displays fill the sky. tradition crossed the oceans and established itself in cian or two), although the gesture is seen by most as the British colonies during the centuries. It was act- a quirky tradition, rather than an expression of hostil- The extent of the celebrations and the size of the ively celebrated in New England as "Pope Day" as ity towards the Pope. bonfire varies from one community to the next. Lewes, in the South East of England, is famous for its late as the 18th century. Today, November 5th bon- Preparations for Bonfire Night celebrations include Bonfire Night festivities and consistently attracts fires still light up in far out places like New Zealand making a dummy of Guy Fawkes, which is called "the thousands of people each year to participate. and Newfoundland in Canada. Guy". Some children even keep up an old tradition of walking in the streets, carrying "the Guy" they have Bonfire Night recipes PARKIN CAKE INGREDIENTS • 1/4 lb butter • 1/4 lb treacle • 1/4 lb soft brown sugar • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda • 6 tbsp milk METHOD • 1/4 lb plain flour • 1/4 lb medium oatmeal STEP 1 Pre heat the oven and grease and • a small pinch of salt line a 6 inch square tin, then melt the but- STEP 3 Bake for 1 hour. Cool in the tin Store the • 1 tsp ground ginger ter with the treacle and sugar, stirring regularly (do not cake for about two days in an airtight tin to let it let it boil). Let the mixture cool. moisten up. • 1 tsp mixed spice STEP 2 Mix the flour, spices and oatmeal. Beat in the • 1 egg treacle mix with the milk and egg, using a wooden spoon and mix in the bicarbonate. Place mixture into the tin. Bonfire Night recipes Homemade toffee apples INGREDIENTS • 8 Granny Smith apples • 400g golden caster sugar • 1 tsp vinegar • 4 tbsp golden syrup METHOD STEP 1 Place the apples in a large bowl, then cover with boiling water (you may have ar thermometer in the pan and boil to 150C temperature drops and it starts to feel thick to do this in 2 batches). This will remove the or 'hard crack' stage. If you don’t have a and viscous. Leave the toffee to cool before waxy coating and help the caramel to stick. thermometer you can test the toffee by pour- eating. Can be made up to 2 days in ad- Dry thoroughly and twist off any stalks. Push ing a little into a bowl of cold water. It should vance, stored in a dry place. a wooden skewer or lolly stick into the stalk harden instantly and, when removed, be end of each apple. brittle and easy to break. If you can still squish the toffee, continue to boil it. STEP 2 Lay out a sheet of baking parchment and place the apples on this, close to your STEP 3 Working quickly and carefully, dip stovetop. Tip the sugar into a pan along with and twist each apple in the hot toffee until 100ml water and set over a medium heat. covered, let any excess drip away, then place Cook for 5 mins until the sugar dissolves, on the baking parchment to harden. You may then stir in the vinegar and syrup. Set a sug have to heat the toffee a little if the Bonfire Night recipes Baked potatoes INGREDIENTS • 4 medium baking potatoes • 2 tbsp olive oil • 25g butter • 1 large onion , finely sliced • 6slices smoked streaky bacon , chopped • 2 tbsp double cream • 200g mixed good melting cheese, such as reb- lochon, raclette or gruyère • chopped parsley , to serve METHOD STEP 2Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil and half the STEP 1Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Prick the butter in a frying pan. Add the onion and gently cook potatoes all over with a fork, then rub with half the oil, for 15-20 mins until softened and golden. Remove some sea salt and black pepper. Arrange on a baking from the pan and set aside, add the chopped bacon tray and bake in the oven for about 1 hr 15 mins, until and fry until just crisp. Remove using a slotted spoon their skins are crisp and they are completely tender and place on kitchen paper.Store the cake for about when prodded. two days in an airtight tin to let it moisten up. This lesson content was excerpted from: BBC website The Parliament Leo Network BBC Good Food Bonfire Night Net.