Firework ‘cue Katy Perry song’ 🎇🎆🔥💥

And so I was thinking about what I could write a blog about, and Halloween crossed my mind, but that’s something a lot of you celebrate too. On that note, I’d like to thank any of you who participated in the Halloween escape room activity, it was a success and the cakes you made were truly incredible and you should all be very proud of yourself, you’ve outdone yourself and I really was left without words. Watch this space for a Christmas bilingual activity. 🎄

So  I thought what better to talk about than a special celebration in the United Kingdom (afterall, I am the first assistant from the UK) It is called Bonfire night or Guy Fawkes night, and was celebrated on the 5th November. So this was celebrated on Monday. 

WHY DOES  BONFIRE NIGHT EXIST?

Bonfire night is a special celebration in the UK that happens every year on the 5th November. If you like History…Read on! (You should read on anyways if you want to practice English 😝) It is the day that King James escaped his death in the houses of parliament. Therefore, we celebrate the failiure of the Guy Fawkes plot on November 5th 1605. In November 1605 a group of men decided to make a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London.The plot is known as the ‘Gunpowder Plot’ and the leader of the plot was called Guy Fawkes. The plot was made as the men were angry about the way the Catholic people were being treated in England. The men thought of a plan and decided to put 36 barrels of gunpowder in the cellar of Houses of Parliament
and then waited for the King to open Parliament, and blow it up. Guy Fawkes was the man who was going to light thegunpowder and cause the explosion. However, guards found the gunpowder before it  exploded and they caught all the men involved in the plot. They were caught because of a letter that was sent to friend who was a member of parliament warning him to avoid parliament that day because of the plot. Francis Tresham was the man who sent the letter thinking that it would never be sent to the king. The men involved were tortured and killed by being hung, drawn and quartered.

HOW IS BONFIRE NIGHT CELEBRATED?

Every year the people of the UK celebrate the survival of the Houses of Parliament and King James. In the early years, church bells rang every 5th November, but it has developed into a  big celebration. All over Britain there are firework displays with friends and families and light bonfires with models of Guy Fawkes which are burned on the fire. It’s normally quite cold on Bonfire Night so people wear warmclothes, hats, scarves and gloves to spend the evening outside. Traditional Bonfire Night food is jacket potatoes and toffee apples. Normally my family and I buy fireworks and sparklers for our garden, and also light a fire. I used to love making shapes with my sparklers.  We put sausages and jacket potatoes in the fire to eat and also toast marshmallows. At university, I go to a firework display with my friends and drink mulled wine. There are lots of fireworks displays over the UK in public spaces and the community gathers together (a little like the virgen of Araceli celebration) and the United Kingdom sky is lit up with so many colours and the bangs echo around the country. 

I have really missed Bonfire night this year, it was sad seeing everyone in England with fireworks on their snapchat and instagrams. But maybe next year! Luckily, i have the wonderful spanish traditions such as the the Dia De Los Santos to make up for it.

I really enjoyed this special day in Spain, and this year I was able to celebrate like a typical Spaniard. I find it very heartwarming visiting cemeteries and having a day to celebrate all the people that are no longer with us, but have touched and continue to touch our lives. I also got to make and try gachas, which I really enjoyed, although I couldn’t explain to you what it reminds me of. But anyways, anything sweet and I’ll like it. I feel very grateful to have been surrounded by an entire Spanish family and to have experienced a special celebration such as this. In the UK this day doesn’t exist, and well, this year I can relate to it more and so really enjoyed my day. 

What other exciting traditions or celebrations do you have here?