Annual tourist attractions: The Bonfire Night festivities of Lewes, England

In 1605, a number of Catholic conspirators, led by Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the Parliament Buildings in London with gunpowder. This plot, called the Gunpowder Plot, was foiled but it still lives on in the celebrations held across the United Kingdom on November 5th of each year, the date of the event, which is known as Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night. Throughout the country, bonfires are lit in towns and villages, many of which are huge celebrations involving the burning of an effigy of Guy Fawkes.

The celebrations in the towns and villages cannot compare to the huge celebration held on Bonfire Night in Lewes, England. This event is one of the largest in England and is much more than just a bonfire. The townsfolk dress in colourful costumes and parade through the cobbled streets of the town in a very raucous manner. Some of them carrying flaming torches and all of them are very loud. The beating of drums can be heard for miles around and almost, but not quite, drown out the shouts and cheers of the boys and girls marching through the streets.

On this night the town belongs to the marchers and the streets are closed to traffic. The boys and girls of the town divide themselves into different groups, which is evident in the different colors of their costumes. Each group takes over a different part of the town so that everyone has room to celebrate very noisily. Some of the groups even drag barrels along with them that are filled with burning tar. When they reach the bridge of the River Ouse, they hold a ceremonial dumping of the barrels into the river.

The reason that Bonfire Night is such a special event in Lewes is that they residents of the town commemorate two historical events. One, of course, is the Gunpowder Plot and the other is the burning of the Protestant martyrs outside the Lewes’Star Inn. This event took place during the Marion Persecutions when Protestants were outlawed and killed when they did not accept the Catholic beliefs of Mary Queen of Scots in the mid-1500’s. The fires that burned brightly that night lived long in the memories of those that witnessed them and this has been passed down through the history of the town.

By the time the crowds of marching youth make their way through Lewes all the residents gather on the cliffs of the hills on the outskirts of the town. There several large bonfires are lit and displays of fireworks light up the night sky. The bonfires and the fireworks can be seen for miles.

This is not a tourist attraction and is mainly one savoured by the townsfolk. The area is very overcrowded and the climb up the hills is very steep. Even though the celebration is one that will surely go down in your memory, it is arranged by the town for the town. If you do want to catch a glimpse of the display it is better to view it from a distance.