Fireworks at Bolton Priory, North Yorkshire on Guy Fawkes Night 2015

© Thomas Holmes/Alamy Stock Phot

A tale of treason and tradition. Guy Fawkes Night

'Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot!' The tale begins in 1605, when a man named Guy Fawkes became part of a conspiracy to blow up the Houses of Parliament on November 5. Alongside a group of disillusioned Catholics, Fawkes had hatched a bold and dangerous plan to kill King James I and end Protestant rule in England. Their secret weapon? Thirty-six barrels of gunpowder hidden in the cellars of Parliament, enough to blow the entire place sky-high. However, the plan was discovered a day before and the plot foiled. And so, 5 November became a day of celebration—not of the plotters, but of their failure. Today, communities gather to burn effigies of Fawkes, light fireworks and enjoy treats like bonfire toffee, remembering the night the plot went up in smoke—literally!