Carnforth Bonfire Night 2022

Bonfire Night in Carnforth poster

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

What information is important to know about Carnforth's Bonfire Night?

The Bonfire Night has been an annual event for many years.

Why do people love these things so much?

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

What is a common association with Bonfire Night?

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.

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

What happened at that time is that there was a lot of anger against the king, since many considered he was intolerant against the Catholics.

Robert Catesby and Guy Fawkes were Catholics who believed that only an armed struggle would restore Catholicism to its rightful place.

Two people came up with a plan to blow up a building.

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

The conspiracy member sent a letter to the parliament after getting cold feet.

After they learned about the plan, the other conspirators were taken into custody.

The Parliament made a public statement regarding the situation, shared the fact that the conspirators were caught and punished.

The Parliament decided to make the 5th of November a day to be thankful for and therefore the tradition to light up bonfires.

After that, we went to the Bonfire Night.

Throughout the UK, Bonfire Night activities are enjoyed.

The origins of the event are sinister, but it has become a community event over the years.

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

The 20th century event looked similar to what we are experiencing today.

There are traditions associated with Bonfire Night.

People wear 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 tried to blow up the Parliament, a celebration of independence, in a safe manner.

The majority of the time, these events end with a firework display and a large bonfire.

Which foods are popular during Bonfire Night?

bonfires and fireworks are not the only things that are celebrated at the Bonfire Night events.

There are a lot of foods associated with the event.

The jacket potato, parkin, black peas, treacle toffee, and the toffee apples are just some of the things that are associated with the Bonfire Night.

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

Some families eat soups and share them with friends or family.

What are you going to wear for the events?

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

It is quite interesting that this is in preparation for the events.

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

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

You don’t have to dress up in a costume, but a proper outfit that helps you protect yourself against the cold weather is more than welcome.

There are attractions at Bonfire Night

There are many amazing attractions in the UK.

In the countryside, you usually have large bonfires and local events with food and drinks being shared with the community.

It 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 be able to enjoy some great firework displays, with some regions going out of their way to use incredible pyrotechnics for a night to remember.

Common traditions are here:

  • Many people in the UK burn an effigy, a homemade model of a man, very similar to a scarecrow. The effigy is usually made out of straw or paper, stuffed with old clothes, and meant to represent Guy Fawkes.
  • The bonfires are more than just a symbol of the failed complot, they are also used to cook food. Many people heat up soup for the crowds that come by to see the fireworks. Some people cook potatoes in a foil with marshmallows or sausages as well. The parking cake is a traditional cake that people eat during Bonfire Night. It has 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 biggest displays. Even in rural areas, you are bound to find amazing firework displays and bonfires.
  • There is a tradition called "Penny for the Guy". Kids used to take homemade Guy effigies on the street in the days leading up to Bonfire Night to ask for money to buy fireworks. In some parts of the world, 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's a tradition 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 effort to blow up the Parliament building.

At the end

Every year, Bonfire Night continues to become a staple event.

It is a great time for people to connect, celebrate and eat amazing foods.

The event has impressed people over the years.

Even if the origins of this event are a bit darker, there's no denying that it shifted towards being a more community-friendly event.

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

Carnforth Bonfire Night Event

Date: 5th November 2022

Start Time: 6pm

Finish Time: 11pm

Address: Carnforth, Lancaster, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Organiser: Carnforth Bonfire Night