Bonfire Night

Dear Charlie,
Remember, remember, the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot!

All over Great Britain tonight, and indeed for most of this week, people have been celebrating Bonfire Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Night, or Firework Night, commemorating the moment in 1605, when Guy (or Guido) Fawkes, part of a Roman Catholic conspiracy, was caught in the cellars of the House of Lords, while guarding explosives that the plotters intended to set off when the King visited Parliament. King James I had recently made it clear that Catholics would have no more freedom under him than under his predecessor Elizabeth I.
Every year, effigies of Fawkes, unsurprisingly called guys, are burnt all over Britain on top of massive bonfires, while people watch firework displays, make patterns with sparklers, and hopefully keep dogs indoors! For years, the evening was a focus for anti-Catholic sentiment, but things have calmed down now!
Many people indeed see Fawkes as a rebellious hero, and Guy Fawkes' face appears on the mask in V For Vendetta, a hero fighting against a fascistic state.

So, if ever you're in Britain in early November, make sure you go out on Bonfire Night. You'll take part in one of our centuries-old traditions, and find a convivial way to fight the onset of winter!
All the best,
Mr Leah