The local fireworks have already begun to go off and the organised display at the local cricket club begins in half an hour. Conditions are good for a change so the youngsters should be able to enjoy the night and stay dry. Wherever you are, I hope you enjoy Bonfire Night safely.
So, who was Guy (Guido) Fawkes and why do Brits mark this anniversary in this way? He and his co-conspirators tried to blow up King James I with a large quantity of gunpowder, in 1605, stashed under Parliament, but the authorities were tipped off by an anonymous letter and the conspiracy failed. Fawkes committed suicide from the scaffold whilst his fellows were hung, drawn and quartered for high treason. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes
Nowadays an effigy of Fawkes is burned on bonfires (some have effigies of contemporary people who are unpopular).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKXUTYwsvzU