Gunpowder, treason & plot
The 5th of November is one of those curious British events that leave foreigners rather confused. A night of communal bonfires and fireworks that has a dark and disturbing past involving one of the most audacious terrorist plots fo all time, a grizzly series of executions and a state-sanctioned festival to celebrate the violence. Yes, very British indeed.
Click on the picture to read all about the gunpowder plot and Guy Fawkes and how this became the British night that follows on the heels of Halloween.
The article comes with audio podcast and First Certificate activities alongside a transcript, vocabulary list and worksheet.
Follow this link to the youtube channel to listen to our podcast conversation on the rituals of Bonfire night.
The man and the mask
The story of Guy Fawkes was used as inspiration for the graphic novel and film V for Vendetta which raised the awareness of the man to a global level. This work of fiction used the Guy Fawkes mask of Bonfire night traditions to obscure the identity of the character. This mask then became a global symbol of resistance. Find out more about that journey with our article on Masquerade:
Interesting Etymology
Our latest episode of Interesting Etymologies explores words that have emerged from works of fiction to everyday use in English. As ever, some surprises in here, including «Robot», «Trilby», «Quark» and a very serious sexually transmitted disease.
Click on the link to start your adventure…
