Why 5th of november

The increased popularity of the Halloween celebration threatens the future of the Guy Fawkes Day celebration. Nonetheless, the day has become a universal emblem used by groups that detest suppressive actions by their governments. The movement protests against the increasing corruption, greed, and lack of accountability in financial and political spheres. People have different opinions with regards to the meaning of the mask. However, to others, the masks are a demonstration of unity against corporate and political greed.

The Guy Fawkes Day celebrated today has a greater meaning than anyone present in the 16th century could imagine.

That custom is now less common, partly because of stricter fireworks laws. The mask was adopted in this century by the activists of the hacker group Anonymous and of the Occupy movement. By Bay Area News Group. Report an error Policies and Standards Contact Us. Far from being the plot's ringleader Guy "Guido" Fawkes was merely the trigger man drafted in to set the fuse.

Born in York he converted to Catholicism following the death of his father and left to become Mercenary fighting for the Spanish against the Protestant Dutch. Given his expertise in explosives he was charged with setting and lighting the fuse to the gunpowder.

He was caught red-handed by the King's men beneath the palace and was tortured for two days at the Tower of London until he gave up his co-conspirators.

The traditional death for traitors in 17th-century England was to be hanged, drawn and quartered in public. Fawkes would have been forced to watch as his testicles were cut off and his innards ripped out. But as he awaited his punishment on the gallows, Fawkes, 35, leapt from the platform and broke his neck. November 5 was later declared a national holiday and people began burning effigies of Fawkes - called guys - and later setting off fireworks representing the gunpowder.