Bonfire night or Budloe night?

Sunday 03 November 2019

Remember, remember, the fifth of November - but not for the gunpowder, treason and plot.

In Guernsey, long before Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the British Houses of Parliament, Budloe Night was marked with a fire at the centre of the celebrations.

It's reported that Budloe Night could be traced back to earlier than the 17th century, and has links to Guernsey's Viking past when a pagan festival was held to mark the end of the year.

Local website, Tostevin.net, reports that a 'Yule log' would be burnt with fire acting as a cleansing ritual before the new year started.

As the original Budloe festivals would have taken place later in the year than when we now celebrate Guy Fawkes night, it is unclear when the two became linked. Budloe used to be held around the Winter Solstice, but over the course of time it's believed the two festivals were linked and began to be marked together on 5 November. However, Tostevin.net reports that Budloe night was still celebrated in it’s own right in Guernsey until the immediate post war years, when there were large cavalcades along with many people dressing up in fancy dress. As the war years passed into recent memory, celebrations were scaled back and evolved into the bonfire and fireworks parties we have today.

Pictured: The Priaulx Library website tells the story of Budloe Night. 

The Priaulx Library also reports that Guy Fawkes night only began to be established in Guernsey in the late 19th century and eventually took over from Budloe night celebrations.

The library's website includes a report from Edith Carey, who wrote for the Societe Guernesiaise.

"In 1909 I was told by old Mr George Luscombe of St Martin’s, who was one of the original instigators of the Guy Fawkes processions, that he well remembered as a small boy being taken, on New Year’s Eve, to the little three-cornered field near St Martin’s Mill which has only lately been thrown into the road. There the 'bout-de-l’an' figure was burned to the sound of the chifournie – or primitive hurdy-gurdy – and of cow-horns, while old women in their Guernsey bonnets and men with blackened faces and masquerade attire danced 'à mon beau laurier' round the flames, and and it ended in a riot of eating and drinking, dancing and singing."

To mark Bonfire night or Guy Fawkes Night, a number of public and private events are being held across the Bailiwick this weekend and on Tuesday, 5 November. 

They are subject to some changes though, due to the forecast bad weather. 

For the States list of firework parties head to gov.gg.

Pictured top: Budloe night had a fire at the centre of the celebrations, like Bonfire night does.