The Height of Celebration
On the 5th of November, in a village in the English countryside called Lewes, some 80,000 people gather to commemorate the infamy of the Gunpowder Plot; Guy Fawkes’ failed attempt to kill King James I and reduce Parliament to rubble.
Originally a celebration of the Kings’ narrow escape from death, it has since evolved into an annual tradition, and staggering spectacle. Lewes Bonfire night is famed for its’ firework displays, torch lit processions, and organized bonfires where effigies of Guy Fawkes are burned. On this night, the history of this Sussex village comes alive in an event unmatched in size or regard.
In a long-standing tradition, factions of Bonfire Societies amble through the cobbled streets, bearing torches and banners of heraldry, and perform various acts of remembrance for the war dead. As most are dressed as smugglers in horizontally striped sweaters, each Society also represents their separate pioneer roots. From Vikings, Romans and Zulus, to Mongols, monks, and Native Americans, the wide gamut of English influence and exploration is run.
Towards the end of the procession, a pinnacle of shouting, explosion, and burning is reached, as a roar of inferno bathes everything in a fierce red light. The clamor of the crowd is deafening, the blaze of the torches blinding, but the spectacle breathtaking.
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