1 n. — predominantly Newfoundland < from English tradition
an annual celebration held on November 5th to mark the escape of James I from assassination.
Type: 2. Preservation — November 5th bonfires were first lit to celebrate King James I's escape from assassination with the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 (see DWH-2 reference). The annual celebration, also named Guy Fawkes Night after one of the conspirators, traveled to Canada with the surge of immigrants to Newfoundland from southwest England in the 17th to 19th centuries (Clarke 2010a: 366). Schwoeffermann's interview with a Newfoundland local (see the 1994 quotations) suggests that the term Bonfire Night is preferred to Guy Fawkes Night, as it strips the event of British historical associations.
See also COD-2, s.v. "Bonfire Night", which is marked "Cdn (Nfld)", and OED-3, s.v. "bonfire night".
2 n. — predominantly Newfoundland < from Irish tradition
a celebration of St. John's Day on June 24th.
Type: 2. Preservation — St. John's feast day in the Catholic tradition coincides with the summer solstice, or Midsummer Day, which has long been celebrated with bonfires. The dual nature of the holiday made it popular among both religious and secular communities and was a particularly significant event in Ireland until the Second World War (Gailey & Adams 1977: 14-15). Newfoundland's 19th-century Irish settlement history (Clarke 2010a: 366) ensured the continuation of this celebration in Canada (see the 1887 quotation). It is also celebrated in Quebec, where St. John's Day (see also St. Jean Baptiste Day) coincides with the Fête nationale.