Brislington Bonfire Night 2022

Bonfire Night in Brislington poster

Every year in Brislington, on November 5, we come together to celebrate Bonfire Night, with fireworks lighting up the skies across the county of Bristol.

What should you know about the Bonfire Night in Brislington?

Over the years, the Bonfire Night has become an annual event because of it's incredible festivities.

Why do people love the festivities so much?

You can get up to speed with the reasons behind the popularity of the Bonfire Night in a few minutes.

What is the Bonfire Night associated with?

The main reason why Bonfire Night exists in the UK is because it’s a way to celebrate the failure of Guy Fawkes as he tried to assassinate King James I, while also attempting to blow up the parliament.

The Bonfire Night was celebrated in 1605 and has been celebrated ever since.

There was a lot of anger against the king due to the fact that he was against the catholics.

Robert and Guy Fawkes were Catholics who believed that an armed struggle would bring Catholicism back to its rightful place.

The supporters came up with a plan to blow up the Palace of Commons.

The plan was to assassinate the king as he was in attendance.

A conspiracy member got cold feet after sending a letter to the parliament.

The conspirators who were involved in the plan were taken into custody after they learned about it.

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

Also, the Parliament chose to declare the 5th of November as a day to be thankful for, and hence the tradition to light up bonfires.

We made our way to the Bonfire Night.

There are a lot of Bonfire Night activities in the UK nowadays.

Despite the fact that its origins are sinister, Bonfire Night has become a community focused event over the years.

The celebration was renamed at the beginning of the 20th century because it was focused on having fun.

As the 20th century went on, the event looked similar to what we are seeing today.

The Bonfire Night has traditions associated with it.

During Bonfire Night people use flaming torches, fireworks and sparklers.

This is a clear nod to the failure of the band that tried to blow up the Parliament, a celebration of independence, but in a safe manner.

The majority of the time, these Bonfire Night events end with a firework display.

There are attractions at Bonfire Night

There are some amazing attractions and events in the UK.

Smaller events also take place in countryside regions too, although here you mostly have large bonfires and local events, food and drinks being shared with the community.

For a lot of people, Bonfire Night has become a community focused 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 fireworks for a night to remember.

There are some traditions that are common:

  • The bonfires are used to cook all kinds of food and are not just meant to be a symbol of the failed complot. The crowds come by to see the fireworks and a lot of people heat up soup. Some people cook potatoes wrapped in a foil and also marshmallows and sausages. The parking cake is a traditional dessert people eat on Bonfire Night. This cake is made with syrup, ginger, oatmeal and treacle, and it is very tasty.
  • There are firework displays all over the country with the biggest cities getting some of the largest displays. Even in rural areas, you will find amazing firework displays and bonfires all over the country.
  • In the UK, it is very common for people to make a model of a man and then burn it. The effigy is usually made out of paper or straw, stuffed with old clothes, and meant to represent Guy Fawkes.
  • "Penny for the Guy" is an interesting tradition. Kids used to take homemade Guy effigies on the street and try to get some money to buy fireworks. In some areas you can find kids that blackened their faces, a testament to what Guy Fawkes did when he was about to blow up the Parliament.
  • A tradition is to carry flaming tar barrels on the shoulders. Again, this is a nod to the plans that Guy Fawkes and his team had, in an attempt to blow up the Parliament building.

What should you wear at the event?

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

This is in preparation for the events, and it is quite interesting.

The Bonfire Night is a great opportunity for people to show off their winter clothes.

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

You don't have to dress up in a costume, but a proper outfit that protects you from the cold weather is more than welcome.

Which foods are popular during celebrations?

The Bonfire Night events are not only a celebration with bonfires and fireworks.

There are many foods associated with this event.

The jacket potato, parkin, black peas, treacle toffee, and the toffee apples are all associated with the Bonfire Night

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

Some families eat soup and share it with friends and family.

Summing up

Over the years, Bonfire Night has become a staple event.

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

Over the years it has been one of those events that have impressed people.

Even if the origins of this event are a bit darker, there is no denying that it became a more community-friendly event.

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

Brislington Bonfire Night Event

Date: 5th November 2022

Start Time: 6pm

Finish Time: 11pm

Address: Brislington, Bristol, City of Bristol, West of England, England, BS4 5AW, United Kingdom

Organiser: Brislington Bonfire Night