Upper Shirley Bonfire Night 2022

Bonfire Night in Upper Shirley poster

Every year in Upper Shirley, on November 5, we come together to celebrate Bonfire Night, all over the county of Greater London we gather around the bonfire.

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

The Bonfire Night has been adopted as an annual event over the years.

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

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

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.

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

There was a lot of anger against the king at that time, since he was seen as being against the Catholics.

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

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

The plan was to kill the king during the process.

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

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

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

The Parliament decided to light up bonfires on the 5th of November in honor of being thankful for it.

We decided to go to the Bonfire Night.

There are lots of Bonfire Night activities in the UK.

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

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

As the 20th century progressed, the event looked similar to what we are currently experiencing.

Which foods are popular during Bonfire Night?

The bonfire Night events are more than just a celebration with bonfires.

There are many foods associated with this event.

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

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

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

There are attractions for Bonfire Night.

The UK has a lot of amazing attractions and events.

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

It has become a community-focused event for a lot of people because they enjoy the presence of other like-minded people.

You can also 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:

  • The bonfires are not meant to be just a symbol of the failed complot, but they are also used to cook all kinds of food. Crowds come by to see the fireworks and a lot of people cook soup for them. Some people cook potatoes wrapped in foil and also marshmallows or sausages. The parking cake is a traditional cake that people eat on the evening of Bonfire Night. The cake is made of syrup, ginger, oatmeal, and treacle.
  • In the UK, it is very common for people to make a model of a man, similar to a scarecrow, and burn it. The effigy is stuffed with old clothes and made out of straw or paper.
  • Some of the biggest cities in the country have large firework displays. But in general you are bound to find bonfires and incredible firework displays all over the country, even in rural areas.
  • "Penny for the Guy" is a tradition. Kids used to take homemade Guy effigies on the street, trying to get some money for the fireworks. In some regions, 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 is a tradition of carrying flaming tar barrels on the shoulders during the Bonfire Night processions. Again, this is a nod to the plans that Guy Fawkes and his team had in order to blow up the Parliament building.

There are traditions associated with Bonfire Night.

People use flaming torches, fireworks and sparklers when they parade in costumes at 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, but in a safe way.

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

What should you wear?

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

In preparation for the events, this is quite an interesting approach.

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

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

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.

Conclusion

Bonfire Night has become a staple event over the years, and it continues every year.

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

Over the years, it has impressed people.

Even if the origins of the event are a bit darker, there is no denying that it has become 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 to come.

Upper Shirley Bonfire Night Event

Date: 5th November 2022

Start Time: 6pm

Finish Time: 11pm

Address: Upper Shirley Road, Shirley, London Borough of Croydon, London, Greater London, England, CR0 5HA, United Kingdom

Organiser: Upper Shirley Bonfire Night