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Autumn (as we call it in Britain) is my favourite season.
I love the leaves as they change colour.
I enjoy picking blackberries from the hedgerows to bake into a "crumble" for dessert.
And I feel moved when I smell woodsmoke in the air as people start using their fires.
We are lucky in the South East of England to have a large variety of autumn festivals and events.
In late September and October many countryside towns have an "Apple Day"; where people gather to taste unusual varieties of local apples, make and drink fresh apple juice and cider, and watch traditional dancing. The apples are more flavourous than the ones from the supermarket, although they can be bitter and sour as well.
At the end of October we have Halloween of course. Halloween is much more popular in Britain than when I was a child. Now, in every town and city, you will find children dressed up in costume roaming the streets "trick or treating".
But my favourite of all is Bonfire Night. This is held on November 5th every year and is also called Guy Fawkes Night.
This event has been happening for more than 400 years and originally started to celebrate the life of King James 1st, who had survived a bombing plot.
A traditional Bonfire Night usually includes the following:
- A big bonfire with a life size figure on top. Traditionally this figure was Guy Fawkes, the man who tried to blow up the king, but in modern times it is usually an unpopular politician or a celebrity.
- A spectacular fireworks display featuring rockets and Catherine wheels.
- Delicious food such as toffee apples, candy floss, sausages and soup
Two of the most famous Bonfire Nights in the South East of England are:
Lewes Bonfire Night in Sussex - 80,000 people visit this small town every year to watch local people march with giant figures, wear costumes and light things on fire. The picture above shows the town of Lewes on the 5th November.
Brockham Bonfire Night in Surrey - which has one of the largest bonfires and a roast pig auction.
This year I will definitely be attending my local bonfire night with my family.
If you would like to learn more about festivals and events in Britain, and would like to tell me about yours, it would be great to meet you in one of my lessons.
I hope you have a memorable autumn.
Dan
Brockham Bonfire Night in Surrey - which has one of the largest bonfires and a roast pig auction.
This year I will definitely be attending my local bonfire night with my family.
If you would like to learn more about festivals and events in Britain, and would like to tell me about yours, it would be great to meet you in one of my lessons.
I hope you have a memorable autumn.
Dan
"Lewes Bonfire Night 2007 - Burning Town and Hillside Watchers" by Dominic's pics is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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