Guy Fawkes day is celebrated on November 5, to mark the foiling of a plot against the Protestant English government that occurred in 1605 and 1606 by a group of conspirators including Mr. Fawkes. The holiday is celebrated with fireworks and bonfires and the burning in effigy of Guy Fawkes as a symbol of rebellion against the State. Guy Fawkes was just one of the conspirators, but evidently he is the one that confessed the names of the others under torture.Oh yes – and coincidentally, the ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain, typically on November 1, is also celebrated with fireworks and bonfires. What a convenient way for the Protestant hierarchy to disguise the Festival of the Dead from its pagan roots and put a secular spin on the day, using the intense energy of the mid-Scorpio period to bolster pro-government feelings.
The reputation of Guy Fawkes has been rehabilitated over the years, and he is now seen by many as a freedom fighter and was honored as 30 of the 100 Greatest Britons in 2002, just after David Bowie.
