We Brits do choose to celebrate in unusual ways. I suppose it’s quite nice that 400-odd years after the event we still celebrate a failed plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament by, erm, letting off explosives and setting fire to huge piles of stuff, even if it is as counter-intuitive as celebrating the Battle of Trafalgar by consuming vast amounts of croq madame and paella and flying French and Spanish flags from all the windows.

Whatever the bizarre reasoning, it’s fair to say a large proportion of the UK population get involved in Bonfire Night, partially because with air strike-esque amounts of explosions happening outside it’s hard to avoid, and partially because it’s one of the few remaining times whole communities get together, albeit dressed in ridiculous knitted hats and brandishing sparkling metal spikes, to celebrate something, irregardless of motivation.

ViewLondon have a pretty comprehensive list of fireworks displays going on in London – personally I recommend Alexandra Palace fireworks* this Saturday; it’s North London’s biggest display, the atmosphere is electric and who knows, maybe this will be the elusive year they finally manage to get the explosions correctly in time to Carmina Burana. The spectacular vantage point of the Palace allows you to see displays across the whole of London, and as well as all the flashing drama overhead there is a Bavarian beer festival, although not gonna lie, I’d avoid the funfair unless you actively enjoy hanging out with huge groups of shrieking teenagers.

Image by ChodHound used under a Creative Commons License

* “Celebrating the 404th anniversary of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. Celebrate a milestone Bonfire Night event this November.”

Milestone? Really?