Bonfire Night is the weirdest night of the year and these chaos traditions prove it

And, tbh, since 1605, the celebrations we’ve come up with to make the 5 November have only gotten stranger. So, to make the occasion that baffles the rest of the world, here’s a round-up of UK traditions which prove Bonfire Night is the strangest night of the year:

Edenbridge’s effigies

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In Edenbridge they basically have one goal: Be as controversial as possible. So, their bonfire celebrations always include humungous effigies of well-known, and controversial, figures. Last year’s celebrations included this one of Liz Truss and for 2023 they’ve decided to light up Sadiq Khan because of his Ultra Low Emission Zone policies, which was decided by public vote. Previous years have seen Harvey Weinstein and Donald Trump go up in flames.

Lewes’ notoriously chaotic parade

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Perhaps the event that gives the most horror film energy of any Bonfire Night celebration in the UK is in Lewes where they carry actual burning crosses through the streets while dressed as smugglers, Native Americans and English Civil War soldiers. Hmm.  Like Edenbridge, they also like a topical effigy and have previously burnt Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Vladimir Putin.