Beckenham Bonfire Night 2022

Bonfire Night in Beckenham poster

Every year in Beckenham, on November 5, we come together to celebrate Bonfire Night, all over the county of Greater London we gather around the bonfire.

What should you know about the Bonfire Night in Beckenham?

Over the years, the Bonfire Night has been adopted as an annual event.

What is it that makes people love these events so much?

You can get up to speed with the reasons behind the popularity of the Bonfire Night here.

What is the Bonfire Night associated with?

The main reason why Guy Fawkes failed in his attempt to assassinate King James I is because he wanted to blow up the parliament.

This happened in 1605 and people have been celebrating bonfires ever since.

There was a lot of anger against the king, since he was seen as being against the Catholics.

There was a vision that only an armed struggle would return Catholicism to its rightful place.

Some people came up with a plan to blow up the Palace of Westminster.

The plan was to kill the king during the process.

A conspiracy member was cold feet and sent a letter to the parliament.

The other conspirators were taken into custody here after they learned of the plan.

The Parliament made a statement about the situation and shared that the conspirators had been caught and punished.

The Parliament decided to light up bonfires on the 5th of November to be thankful for.

We went to the Bonfire Night after that.

There are many Bonfire Night activities in the UK today.

Over the years, Bonfire Night has become a community focused event despite its sinister beginnings.

The celebration was renamed to Fireworks Night at the beginning of the 20th century due to the focus on having fun.

As the 20th century progressed, the event looked more and more like what we are seeing today.

The Bonfire Night has traditions associated with it.

People parade in costumes and use flaming torches, fireworks and sparklers on Bonfire Night.

This is a clear nod to the failure of Guy Fawkes and his band as they attempted to blow up the Parliament, a celebration of independence, but in a safe way.

Most of the time, these Bonfire Night events end with a firework display and large bonfire.

Which foods are popular during Bonfire Night?

The events of bonfires and fireworks are not the only thing happening on the night.

There are plenty of foods associated with this event as well.

In fact, things like the jacket potato, parkin, black peas, treacle toffee or the toffee apples are widely associated with the Bonfire Night.

These are eaten throughout the country and some regions have their own special meals prepared around the 5th of November as well.

Some families share soups with friends or other family members.

There are attractions for Bonfire Night.

There are many attractions and events in the UK.

In the countryside, you usually have large bonfires and local events, food and drinks being shared with the community, but there are also smaller events.

For a lot of people, Bonfire Night has become a community event where everyone has a great time and they enjoy the presence of other like-minded people.

You will also get to enjoy some great firework displays, with some regions going out of their way to use incredible pyrotechnics for a night to remember.

Here are some common traditions:

  • Some of the largest fireworks displays can be found in the biggest cities in the country. You are bound to find bonfires and firework displays all over the country.
  • The bonfires are meant to be a symbol of the failed complot, but they are also used to cook all kinds of food. A lot of people make soup for the people coming by to see the fireworks. It is possible to cook potatoes wrapped in a foil as well as marshmallows or sausages. The parking cake is a traditional cake that people eat on the evening of Bonfire Night. This cake is made with syrup, ginger, oatmeal, and treacle.
  • Many people in the UK burn an effigy, a homemade model of a man, similar to a scarecrow. The effigy is stuffed with old clothes and made out of straw or paper, which is supposed to represent Guy Fawkes.
  • The tradition is called "Penny for the Guy". Kids used to take homemade Guy effigies on the street, trying to get some money to buy fireworks. In some regions you can find kids that blackened their faces, a testament to what Guy Fawkes did when he was preparing to blow up the Parliament.
  • There is a tradition to carry flaming tar barrels on the shoulders. This is a nod to the plans that Guy Fawkes and his team had, in an effort to blow up the Parliament building.

What should you wear?

Depending on where they live, people tend to dress up in various costumes for Bonfire Night.

It is quite an interesting approach that is being prepared for the events.

The Bonfire Night is a great time for most people to show off their winter outfits.

Something to keep in mind is that a winter knit with a classical touch is often the right way to go here.

A proper outfit that protects you against the cold weather is more than welcome, even if you don't have to dress up in a costume.

At the end

Over the years, Bonfire Night has become a staple event and it continues every year.

It is a great time for people to come together and enjoy some great food.

It is one of the things that have impressed people over the years.

Even if the origins of this event are a bit darker, there is no denying that over the years the event has become a more community-friendly event.

The most important parts of Bonfire Night are happiness and a good time, and we can expect this event to continue for years and years to come.

Beckenham Bonfire Night Event

Date: 5th November 2022

Start Time: 6pm

Finish Time: 11pm

Address: Beckenham, London Borough of Bromley, London, Greater London, England, BR3 1DZ, United Kingdom

Organiser: Beckenham Bonfire Night