Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Wikipedia
Bonfire Night is a traditional celebration involving bonfires in several countries.
Specifically, Bonfire Night may refer to:
- Guy Fawkes Night, in Great Britain and some Commonwealth nations (5 November)
- St John's Eve, in Ireland and Scandinavia (23 June)
- Eleventh Night, in Northern Ireland (11 July)
- Queen's Official Birthday, in Australia (June)
- Aggie Bonfire, also called "Student Bonfire", Texas A&M University, United States (November)
- Chaharshanbe Suri, ancient Zoroastrian fire-jumping festival as a prelude to the start of the spring season, celebrated by Persian, Azerbaijani, and Kurdish people (March)
Bonfire Night is a name given to various annual celebrations characterised by bonfires and fireworks. The event celebrates different traditions on different dates, depending on the country. Some of the most popular instances include Guy Fawkes Night (5 November) in the United Kingdom, which is also celebrated in some Commonwealth countries; Northern Ireland's Eleventh Night (11 July), and 5 November in Newfoundland and Labrador. Often known as St John's Eve (23 June), a similar bonfire tradition survives in parts of Ireland as well as Scandinavia where it is known as Walpurgis Night (30th April). St John's Eve is also a very important celebration in Galicia and Northern Portugal. Several other cultures also include night-time celebrations involving bonfires and/or fireworks.
Bonfire Night is also celebrated in Northern Ireland on 9 August in republican communities to mark the anniversary of the introduction of internment in 1971 ( Operation Demetrius).
Usage examples of "bonfire night".
She could be at a bonfire night party in an ancient Berber jacket, cutting up parkin and treacle toffee for my friends, pulling charred potatoes out of the fire embers with hair all tousled and nose just the right shade of red from the cold November air one day, and the next she would be in cashmere and pearls, hair in a chignon, taking tea with Lady Horley.
It was almost Bonfire Night, and over the weekend the small heap of combustibles in Butts' Court had grown to a substantial size.
Cleaned of filth, it looked wan, the bonfire night drawing deep shadows beneath his eyes.
Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early -- it's not until next week, folks!