Lewes Bonfire, or Bonfire for short, describes a set of celebrations held in the town of Lewes, Sussex, England, that constitute the United Kingdom's largest and most famous Bonfire Night festivities,[1] with Lewes being called the bonfire capital of the world.[2]
Always held on 5 November (unless the 5th falls on a Sunday,[3] in which case it is held on Saturday the 4th), the event not only marks Guy Fawkes Night – the date of the uncovering of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 – but also commemorates the memory of the seventeen Protestant martyrs from the town burned at the stake for their faith during the Marian Persecutions.
Lewes is home to the largest and most celebrated of the festivities in the Sussex bonfire tradition. There are seven societies putting on six separate processions and firework displays throughout Lewes on 5 November. As well as this, 25–30 societies from all around Sussex come to Lewes on the fifth to march the streets. This can mean up to 5,000 people taking part in the celebrations, and up to 80,000 spectators attending in the county market town with a population of just over 17,000.[4][5]
- ^ Times Writers (5 November 2009). "Tonight's the night: bonfires and fireworks". Times. London.
- ^ Jones, Lucy (2 November 2010). "Unusual places to go and watch fireworks". The Daily Telegraph. London.
They don't call Lewes the Bonfire capital of the world for nothing.
- ^ "The Lewes Societies". Lewes Bonfire Council. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ Hanna, Nick (8 October 2005). "Flaming passions". Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ "Census 2001: Parish Headcounts: Lewes". Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
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