What phrase names the small charitable collections traditionally made for children’s Bonfire Night effigies?

“A penny for the Guy” names the traditional charitable collection associated with children’s Bonfire Night effigies.

In the custom, children displayed a homemade figure representing Guy Fawkes and asked passers-by for money. The phrase referred to the small coin traditionally offered in return, while the collected money could be used to buy fireworks or sweets.

The practice developed alongside the wider Guy Fawkes Night tradition of making and burning an effigy. It is separate from the historical events of 1605: the conspirators did not use the phrase, and children’s collections belong to later popular custom.

The word “guy” eventually broadened in English to mean a man or person, but that everyday meaning developed from the name Guy Fawkes and his effigy.