Guy Fawkes Day Celebrated in England — Americans Say ‘Guy Who?’ [Video]


Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated throughout England every November 5. While many Americans recognize the iconic Guy Fawkes mask from the movie V For Vendetta, many have no idea of who Guy Fawkes was, or why he has a day named after him.

Conde Nast Traveler provides a sketch of who the infamous Mr. Fawkes was. He was born in 1570 and grew up in York, in the north of England. After his Protestant father died, his mother remarried a Catholic and Guy also switched to Catholicism. He later took part in the Eighty Years War, fighting with the Catholic Spaniards against the Protestant Dutch.

Fawkes joined a group that was plotting to murder King James I of England, who was a Protestant, and return the throne to Catholic hands. The plot has since become known as the “Gunpowder Plot” because the group kept a store of gunpowder hidden underneath the House of Lords. The plan was to explode the gunpowder when King James and other members of the royal family would be visiting Parliament on November 5, 1605. The plot failed when someone warned Lord Monteagle, who was related to one of the conspirators, to stay away from Parliament on November 5. The Houses of Parliament were searched and Guy Fawkes was found and arrested. After being tortured, he revealed the details of the plot and was executed in January 1606.

Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated throughout England, where the celebration is often referred to as “Bonfire Night.” Tech Times refers to it as “Christmas for pyromaniacs.” Bonfires are lit, crowds march through the streets carrying torches, fireworks are set off, and Fawkes is burned in effigy. There is also plenty of drinking, which, when coupled with things such as fireworks, results in injuries. There are a number of websites, such as the Bonfire Night Health & Safety Guide, that offer information about fireworks and recommendations about how to have fun on Bonfire Night without setting yourself or someone else on fire.

Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night have become more widely known in recent years, thanks to V For Vendetta. The main character in the film, played by Hugo Weaving, wears a Guy Fawkes mask throughout, never revealing his face. The hacktivist group “Anonymous” adopted the Guy Fawkes mask from the movie and it has become one of the symbols of their movement. Occupy Wall Street protesters also adopted the mask.

The Million Mask March, organized by Anonymous to protest government human rights abuses around the world, takes place on Guy Fawkes Day. The event has become so popular that even celebrities are occasionally spotted among the participants. As reported in theInquisitr,comedian Russell Brand was spotted at this year’s event in London.

Will Guy Fawkes Day ever catch on in the United States? Who knows? After all, it is another excuse to drink and be rowdy.

[Image via ACLE Cloud]

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