Tokyngton Bonfire Night 2022

Bonfire Night in Tokyngton poster

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

What should you know about the Bonfire Night in Tokyngton?

Over the years, the Bonfire Night has become an annual event.

Why do people love these festivities so much?

You can get up to speed with the reasons behind the amazing popularity of the Bonfire Night by reading this quick article.

What is the tradition of the Bonfire Night?

It is a way to celebrate the failure of Guy Fawkes as he tried to assassinate King James I, as well as blowing up the parliament.

In 1605 this happened, and people have celebrated Bonfire Night ever since.

At that time, there was a lot of anger against the king, since he was seen as being too tolerant of the Catholics.

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

The supporters came up with a plan to blow up the palace.

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

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

The other conspirators ended up being taken into custody here after they learned about the plan.

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

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

It eventually led to the Bonfire Night.

Nowadays Bonfire Night activities can be found throughout the UK.

Despite the fact that the origins of the event are sinister, it has become a community-focused event over the years.

The celebration was renamed at the beginning of the 20th century by firework manufacturers to Bonfire Night or the Fireworks Night because of the focus on having fun.

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

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 failure of Guy Fawkes and his band as they tried to blow up the Parliament, a celebration of independence, but in a safe manner.

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

What are you going to wear for the event?

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

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

The Bonfire Night is a great chance for most 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.

It is not necessary to dress up in a costume to protect yourself against the cold weather.

There are attractions at Bonfire Night

There are many amazing 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.

It's become a community-focused event for a lot of people, 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 firework displays for a night to remember.

Here are some traditions that are common:

  • It is very common for people in the UK to make a model of a man and burn it. This effigy is made out of straw or paper and stuffed with old clothes, it is supposed to represent Guy Fawkes.
  • The "Penny for the Guy" is an interesting tradition. Kids used to take homemade Guy effigies on the street in order to ask for money for fireworks a few days before Bonfire Night. In some regions you can find kids that blackened their faces, a testament to what Guy Fawkes tried to do when he was planning to blow up the Parliament.
  • The biggest cities in the country get some of the biggest firework displays. There are bonfires and amazing firework displays all over the country.
  • During the Bonfire Night processions 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 to blow up the parliament building.
  • The bonfires are not meant to be a symbol of the failed complot, but they are used to cook all kinds of food. A lot of people cook soup for the people who come by to watch the fireworks. Some people cook potatoes in a foil, but also marshmallows or sausages. The parking cake is a traditional cake that people eat on the night of the bonfire. This cake is made with syrup, ginger, oatmeal and treacle, and it is very delicious.

Which foods are popular at Bonfire Night?

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

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

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

Some regions have their own special meals that are prepared around the 5th of November as well.

It is important to note that some families eat soup and share it with friends.

At the end

Every year, Bonfire Night is a staple event.

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

Over the years, it has impressed people and is one of those events.

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

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

Tokyngton Bonfire Night Event

Date: 5th November 2022

Start Time: 6pm

Finish Time: 11pm

Address: West Tokyngton, London Borough of Brent, London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Organiser: Tokyngton Bonfire Night