kaying．simply life: [UK]Bonfire Night．[英國]篝火之夜

EOS 600D, 1/50, f/4.5, 35mm, ISO1600

'Are you going to the bonfire night this weekend?' is what I heard the most recently. Spending a little while googling what sort of celebration it is, seems like it's a lot more than a firework show.

Here comes a bit of its history background :)

This annual commemoration is also known as Guy Fawkes Night and its origin could be traced back to 5th November 1965, when Guy Fawkes (a member of the 'Gunpowder Plot') was guarding an explosion placing beneath the House of Lords aiming to assassinate King James I. Eventually, the assassination attempt was failed and Guy Fawkes was arrested. In order to celebrate the plot's failure as well as King James I's survival, people lit bonfire around London and this act becomes a tradition in all parts of the UK on every 5th of November.

While each town has its Bonfire Night celebration, I joined the one in Stevenage and went to the park where firework was displayed that night. It was so dark on the way to the park and everyone just kept walking in the dark woods with noise and excitement, as if we were going to join a Quidditch match in the Harry Potter world! With adults lighting their sparkling sticks and kids playing their glow sticks, the firework show eventually started right after a cheerful countdown.

Comparing to the one in Hong Kong, the firework here was in a different sense of beauty. While Hong Kong is always proud of her great variety of flames and colorful skyline as background, what we had in this little town was firework in a much smaller scale. Nevertheless, the cold crisp weather and small-scale firework made every single of us stay together tightly in a forested park and created a wonderful environment for the show. Somehow this atmosphere gave me a kind of romantic and mysterious feeling, leading me into a dream of imagination.

Eventually, the half-an-hour firework show ended in cheers of joy♪

Wish that I can enjoy it somewhere again next time♡

Those who are planning to travel in the UK do mark a star on 5th November on your schedule as this a really worth-going event!!

※btw, please don't hesitate to express your feeling by giving a little sharing/feedback, which acts as a motivation for me as well :P

Bless you☆

最近家人朋友們經常提及英國一年一度的「篝火之夜」，對這組字眼毫無頭緒的我也只好上網GOOGLE一下，看看這個節日究竟是甚麼一回事。

以下是關於「篝火之夜」一點小小的補充資料：)
（請珍惜這些有點奇怪但我努力打出來的中文譯音!!）
於1965年11月5日，「火藥陰謀」為了暗中刺殺當時的英國國皇詹姆士一世而準備在議會其間炸毀英國上議院。但隨著組織中負責爆破的一位成員蓋彌．褔克斯被捕，整個行動宣告失敗。當時的人們為了慶祝陰謀被粉碎和國皇平安無事，便在倫敦附近點起營火。流傳至今，英國的大城小鎮每年11月5日也會舉行花火大會，而「篝火之夜」亦會被稱為「蓋彌．褔克斯之夜」。

有了這麼一點（？）歷史知識後，我也就準備就緒去參於這個盛會了。由於這個鎮的花火大會是在一個公園的湖邊舉行，入夜後一整個鎮的人在森林裡快步穿梭的感覺好奇妙。雖然四周都是樹木黑漆漆一片，冷空氣配上喧鬧聲令人不禁聯想到哈利波特的魁地奇賽，很有電影感（笑）

而在一片歡樂的倒數後，煙火也就開始上演了!!

相比起香港一貫的煙花匯演，這裡的煙火卻有著一點神秘的美感。沒有了香港一直引以為榮的熣燦夜景作為背景，也沒有經過花巧設計的煙火圖案；在小鎮裡這個帶點純樸氣息的花火大會卻會勾起內心的一絲絲感動。也許是煙火比較小型的關系，也許是天氣真的很寒冷的關系，和鎮上的人們相聚一起呼著白煙讚嘆著快要掉到頭上的煙火的感覺真的十分奇妙。即使天上有點微霧而且微微滴下雨點，在森林裡參與一場夢幻的花火大會是一次難忘的體驗。