Important Festivals

London has a rich cultural heritage. Many colorful, vibrant, and joyful festivals are celebrated by the people of London. Some of the festivals that are celebrated throughout London are Guy Fawkes Night, New Year's Day Parade, Regent Streets Festival, and City of London Festival. Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated on the 5th of November to remember the failure of outlaw Guy Fawkes to blow up the Parliament for his religious beliefs. On this cold November night, people gather in parks to appreciate the display of fireworks and to burn an effigy of the brigand, Guy Fawkes, in a bonfire. Along with this, many parks have fairs, food stalls, and games. The party hosted by Battersea Park of London is extremely popular among the people of London.

Customs and Traditions

Outside the Buckingham Palace, you can see guards dressed in their trademark bright red uniforms accompanied by bearskin hats. These guards are the bodyguards of the Queen. Every day, a new troop of thirty guards march to the palace and replace the old guards. This is called the Changing of the Guards ceremony. This ceremony was started in the year 1660, since which time the King or Queen of England have been guarded by the Household Troops.