Kirkleatham Bonfire Night 2022

Bonfire Night in Kirkleatham poster

Every year in Kirkleatham, on November 5, we come together to celebrate Bonfire Night, all over the county of North Yorkshire we gather around the bonfire.

What should you know about Kirkleatham's bonfire night?

The Bonfire Night has been an annual event for a long time.

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

Here are a few things you can do to get up to speed with the Bonfire Night.

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 and also to blow up the parliament.

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

At that time, there was a lot of anger against the king, since many thought he was against the Catholics.

Robert Catesby and Guy Fawkes were Catholics who wanted an armed struggle to restore Catholicism to its rightful place.

The two people came up with a plan to blow up the palace.

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

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

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

The Parliament shared that the conspirators were caught and punished.

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

We ended up at the Bonfire Night.

The UK has a lot of Bonfire Night activities.

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

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

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

Which foods are popular at Bonfire Nights?

The Bonfire Night events are more than just a celebration.

There are a lot of foods 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 even have their own special meals prepared around the 5th of November.

It is important to note that some families eat soup and share it with other family members.

There are attractions during the night.

You will find a lot of great attractions and events in the UK.

In the countryside, you mostly have large bonfires and local events, food and drinks being shared with the community, although smaller events also take place.

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.

With some regions going out of their way to use incredible fireworks for a night to remember, you will get to enjoy some great firework displays.

There are some traditions that are common:

  • Some of the largest firework displays are in the biggest cities. Even in rural areas you are bound to find bonfires and firework displays.
  • The bonfires are used to cook all kinds of food and are not meant to be a symbol of the failed complot. People heat up soup for the crowds that come by to see the fireworks. Some people cook potatoes in a foil, as well as marshmallows or sausages. The parking cake is a traditional cake that people eat on Bonfire Nights. There is syrup, ginger, oatmeal and treacle in this cake, and it is very tasty.
  • It is a tradition to carry flaming tar barrels on the shoulders during the processions. This is a nod to the plans that Guy Fawkes and his team had to blow up Parliament.
  • There is an interesting tradition called "Penny for the Guy". Kids used to take homemade Guy effigies on the street in order to ask for money for the fireworks. In some parts of the world, you can find kids blackened their faces, a testament to what Guy Fawkes did when he was about to blow up the Parliament.
  • It is common for people in the UK to make an effigy of a man and burn it. The effigy is usually made out of paper or straw and stuffed with old clothing.

What are you going to wear for the events?

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

This approach is quite interesting and is being prepared for the events.

The Bonfire Night is a great place 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 in winter.

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

There are traditions associated with the Bonfire Night

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

This is a clear nod to the failed attempt by Guy Fawkes and his band to blow up the Parliament as a celebration of independence, but in a safe manner.

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

Summing up

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

It is a great time for people to connect, celebrate and enjoy some great foods.

It’s certainly one of those events 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 it has evolved into 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 a long time.

Kirkleatham Bonfire Night Event

Date: 5th November 2022

Start Time: 6pm

Finish Time: 11pm

Address: Kirkleatham Green, Redcar, Redcar and Cleveland, Tees Valley, England, United Kingdom

Organiser: Kirkleatham Bonfire Night