Guy Fawkes Day

4.8

On the 5th of November in almost every town and village in England you can see bonfires burning, fireworks and rockets shooting across the skies. You will see small groups of boys and girls pushing an old pram or cart with a figure like a scarecrow. The children will sing:

Remember, remember

The Fifth of November,

Gunpowder, treason and plot,

For I see no reason

Why gunpowder and treason

Should ever be forgot.

They will ask people for a “penny for the Guy”. With the money they buy fireworks. This has been the custom every 5th of November since 1605.

In 1605, James I was the king of England. He was a very unpopular man and was disliked by many people. Some of them decided to kill the king and his ministers by blowing up the Houses of Parliament with gunpowder. Guy Fawkes promised to do it.

The conspirators first took a house and began to dig a tunnel under the Houses of Parliament. They could not do it because the walls were very thick. Then they took a cellar under the Houses of Parliament and Guy Fawkes together with some other men began to put firewood and gunpowder there.

On the 5th of November before Parliament was opened, one of the conspirators was frightened. He wrote a letter to his friend, who was a Member of Parliament. This man showed the letter to the king. The cellars were opened and gunpowder was found in them. The names of all the conspirators were found out and they all and Guy Fawkes were put to death.