Remember, remember!

The fifth of November,

The Gunpowder treason and plot;

I know of no reason

Why Gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot!

These are the first few lines to an old English folk verse titled “The Fifth of November”, circa 1870. It references the Gunpowder Plot and its leader: Guy Fawkes. Even if you’re never heard of either of these two references, you’ve probably seen the mask that’s made in Guy’s supposed likeness (in the photograph above). Naturally, it’s a British thing, but it was popularized in the United States more recently with the film V for Vendetta (based on the novel of the same name) and the internet hacktivist group Anonymous, which uses the masks in its logo and other publicity/protest purposes.

Both Guy and his plot will be celebrated all over the world (and especially in the United Kingdom) tonight — for it is “the fifth of November”. To get the gist of what occurred all those centuries ago and what’s honored and how, check out the following quick video:

And just for bangers and mash, here’s a Guy Fawkes-styled effigy being put into the cockpit of fighter biplane back in 1932, in Surrey, England:

And here’s a float satirizing UK Prime Minister David Cameron and the alleged “piggate” scandal that’ll be paraded at a Fawkes bonfire in Lewes:

The Paris Review