Bonfire Night

Cara Tatina,
this weekend here in the UK we celebrate Bonfire Night, also known as Guy Fawkes' Night, and I just wanted to tell you a bit more about it.

Bonfire Night is a yearly event dedicated to bonfires, fireworks and celebrations. Bonfire Night is associated with the tradition of Guy Fawkes' Night and its celebrated annually on or near the 5th November.

You may remember about Guy Fawkes' Night from our English school textbooks: its history begins with the events of the 5th November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding explosives the plotters had placed beneath the House of Lords. Celebrating the fact that King James I had survived the attempt on his life, people lit bonfires around London, and months later the introduction of the Observance of 5th November Act enforced an annual public day of thanksgiving for the plot's failure.

"Remember, remember, the fifth of November, Gunpowder Treason and Plot"

rhyme sang around the bonfire

There are several events going on round Manchester this weekend, in fact we may be going to see some fireworks tonight (weather permitting!) at a nearby park, where there will be a funfair and a bonfire, too. I hope there is a stall selling candy floss, I have not had it in ages! Last time must have been in 2008 when my dear friend Stefania came to visit for a long weekend.

Bonfire Night 2008 with my friend Stefania

We got tickets to see the Fireworks Spectacular at the Lancashire Cricket Ground...it was freezing cold but we loved it, the fireworks were amazing and we couldn't help a few "ooooh" and "aaaah", as you will be able to hear from this video!

I just love fireworks and I am really looking forward to see some tonight!
Hope you have a nice weekend, too, whatever you have planned :-)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Cara Tatina,

questo weekend qui da noi si festeggia Bonfire Night, meglio conosciuta come Guy Fawkes Night.

Ti ricorderai di Guy Fawkes dai nostri libri di scuola: tutto inizio' la notte del 5 novembre 1605 quando Guy Fawkes fu arrestato per un attentato alla House of Lords. Per festeggiare il mancato attentato al re James I, i cittadini di Londra accesero falo' per tutta la citta' e qualche mese dopo fu introdotta questa festa annuale.

La data ufficiale e' il 5 novembre, ma i festeggiamenti di solito si svolgono attorno a quella data, anche il giorno prima, come questo weekend, ci sono un sacco di eventi organizzati in giro per Manchester...spettacoli pirotecnici, giostre, bancarelle e falo' :-) Proprio stasera dovremmo andare a uno spettacolo pirotecnico (sperando non piova!) e spero ci sia una bancarella che vende zucchero filato, non lo mangio da una vita! L'ultima volta deve essere stato nel 2008 quando mi e' venuta a trovare la mia cara amica Stefania. Siamo andate a vedere uno spettacolo pirotecnico organizzato al stadio di cricket del Lancashire, che si trova non troppo lontano dal mitico Old Trafford. Nonostante il gran freddo ci siamo divertite davvero e i fuochi d'artificio erano spettacolari, dovevi sentire quanti "oooh" e "aaah" ci son scappati di bocca!

Adoro i fuochi d'artificio e non vedo l'ora di godermi lo spettacolo stasera...buon weekend a te Tatina, un abbraccio!