Dunblane Bonfire Night 2022

Bonfire Night in Dunblane poster

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

What should you know about Dunblane's bonfire night?

The Bonfire Night has been an annual event over the years and is one of those incredible festivities.

What does it mean to people and why do they love these festivities so much?

You can get up to speed with the reasons behind its popularity with a quick overview.

What is the Bonfire Night associated with?

It is 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 in the UK.

This happened in 1605 and people have celebrated it ever since.

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

Robert and Guy Fawkes were Catholics who believed in an armed struggle to return Catholicism to its rightful place.

Two people came up with a plan to blow up the Palace of Commons.

The plan was to assassinate the king while he was there.

A conspiracy member got cold feet and wrote a letter to the parliament.

The conspirators were taken into custody after they learned about the plan.

The Parliament made a statement about the situation and shared that the conspirators were punished.

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

Which, eventually, led us to the Bonfire Night.

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

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

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

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

Which foods are popular during Bonfire Night celebrations?

As we mentioned earlier, the Bonfire Night events are not only a celebration with bonfires and fireworks.

There are lots of things associated with this event.

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

It is important to note that some families share soups with friends or family members.

There are attractions during the night.

There are many attractions and events in the UK.

In the countryside, there are usually large bonfires and local events, food and drinks 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 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.

There are some traditions that are common:

  • The bonfires are not meant just to be a symbol of the failed complot, but they are also used to cook all kinds of food. People heat up soup for the people coming by to watch the fireworks. Some people cook potatoes in a foil, but also marshmallows or sausages. There’s also a traditional cake that people eat on the Bonfire Night, named the Parking Cake. The cake has syrup, ginger, oatmeal and treacle, and it is very tasty.
  • There's a tradition called "Penny for the Guy". Kids used to take homemade Guy effigies on the street in order to ask for money for fireworks. Kids blackened their faces in some parts of the country, a testament to what Guy Fawkes did when he was about to blow up the Parliament.
  • Some of the biggest cities in the country have some of the largest firework displays. There are bonfires and amazing firework displays all over the country, even in rural areas.
  • There’s also a tradition to carry flaming tar barrels on the shoulders during the Bonfire Night processions. This is a nod to the plans that Guy Fawkes and his team had for blowing up the Parliament building.
  • In the UK it is very common for people to make a model of a man and burn it. This effigy is meant to represent Guy Fawkes, and it’s usually made out of straw or paper, all of it stuffed within old clothes.

What should you wear for the Bonfire Night events?

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

It is an interesting approach in preparation for the events.

The Bonfire Night is a great place for people to show off their winter clothing.

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

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

There are traditions associated with the night of bonfires.

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

This is a clear nod to the failure of the band that tried to blow up the Parliament as a celebration of independence.

Most of the time, there is a firework display and a large bonfire during Bonfire Night.

Summing up

Every year, Bonfire Night becomes a staple event.

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

Over the years, it has been one of those events that 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 a good time, and we can expect this event to continue for many years to come.

Dunblane Bonfire Night Event

Date: 5th November 2022

Start Time: 6pm

Finish Time: 11pm

Address: Dunblane, Stirling, Alba / Scotland, FK15 0EJ, United Kingdom

Organiser: Dunblane Bonfire Night