Guy Fawkes Night in England
November 5 · Level 10 · #189 of 2238
Guy Fawkes Night recalls the failure of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament and kill King James I. For many people today, it means gathering outdoors for an autumn evening of firelight and fireworks.
How it is celebrated: communities stage firework displays and light bonfires, sometimes burning an effigy of Fawkes. Baked potatoes and toffee apples are familiar seasonal treats.
The everyday English word guy has a link to this tradition. It was first used for effigies of Fawkes before developing its familiar meaning of a person.