GUY FAWKES DAY

THE HISTORY

What is Guy Fawkes Day?

Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day and Bonfire Night, is an annual celebration held primarily in Great Britain, on or about 5 November

Origin of Guy Fawkes Day Guy Fawkes Night originates from the Gunpowder Plot of 1605,

a failed conspiracy by a group of provincial English Catholics to assassinate the Protestant King James I of England and replace him with a Catholic head of state. After the plot's discovery London was in a state of confusion. The king had somehow been saved from death and celebrations were therefore a natural response. The Council decided to allow the lighting of bonfires, a traditional English celebration, so long as they were "without any danger or disorder". So, 5 November 1605 was the first celebration of what became known as Gunpowder Treason Day.

The conspirators were:• Guy Fawkes• Robert and Thomas

Wintour • Thomas Percy • Christopher and

John Wright • Francis Tresham

• Ambrose Rookwood • Thomas Bates • Robert Keyes • Hugh Owen • John Grant • Robert Catesby • Everard Digby

What was the main reason for the Plot?

Catholics in England had expected James to be more tolerant of them. In fact, he had proved to be the opposite and had ordered all Catholic priests to leave England. This so angered some Catholics that they decided to kill James and put his daughter Elizabeth on the throne ensuring that she was a Catholic.

What did the plotters do? They had planned to

kill the King and his government by blowing up the Parliament House with gunpowder.

To carry out their plan, the conspirators got hold of 36 barrels of gunpowder and stored them in a cellar, just under the House of Lords.

Why the plan went wrong?

One of the plotters had a relative in the Parliament and he wanted to warm him. This relative told the King about the plot.

What hapenned with Guy Fawkes and the

plotters? Guy Fawkes, who was in the

cellar of the parliament with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th, was caught, tortured and executed like the rest of plotters.

THE TRADITI

ON

What do British people do nowadays on this

day?• Light huge bonfires• Let off fireworks• Burn an effigy as a

reminder of Guy Fawkes

• Do torch-lit processions

• Visit of the Queen by Britons to Parliament every year.

And,what do children traditionally do?

• Make a guy out of old clothes stuffed with paper or straw

• Blacken their faces. • Children take their

home-made guys out on the street and ask for "a penny for the Guy" for fireworks. 

Traditional food• Potatoes wrapped in foil • Soup for the crowds • The traditional cake, a mix of

oatmeal, ginger, treacle and syrup. • And other foods like sausages

cooked over the flames and marshmallows toasted in the fire.

Remember remember

the fifth of November

NATALIA BUENO ALONSO

&LAURA CARRILLO

SILES