IT IS a strange tradition, this annual celebration of catching the man plotting to blow up Parliament and kill the King, but it persists..
Technically, we do not even do it on the correct day.
It was actually November 4, 1605, when Sir Thomas Knyvet found Guy Fawkes lurking in a cellar with two tons of gunpowder and a guilty expression.
In his interrogation, Fawkes revealed he was a participant in an English Catholic conspiracy organized by Robert Catesby to annihilate England’s entire Protestant government, including King James I.
The king was to have attended Parliament the following day, which is probably why November 5 has stuck as the Gunpowder Plot anniversary.
It might have been 416 years ago, but people still mark the occasion with fireworks and bonfires and even, occasionally, ‘penny for the guy’ runs around the neighbourhood.
In Glasgow over the decades our photographers have captured Bonfire Night parties and celebrations around the city.
Here, children and adults on Leven Street in Pollokshields gather for a community bonfire (main picture) while inset, a spectacular fireworks display on Glasgow Green lights up the skies above the People’s Palace.
Our third photo of the day is a health and safety nightmare by today’s standards, as children watch avidly - and much too closely - as a Catherine wheel spins.
What are your memories of Bonfire Night? Did your street have community fireworks or a bonfire?
Get in touch with Times Past to share your stories and photographs.
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