A brief history lesson on the events commemorated on Guy Fawkes Day (Nov 5).

In England, 5 November has variously been called Guy Fawkes Night, Guy Fawkes Day and Bonfire Night; the latter can be traced directly back to the original celebration of 5 November 1605. Bonfires were accompanied by fireworks from the 1650s onwards, and it became the custom to burn an effigy of some hated celebrity, although most modern effigies are of Guy Fawkes. The "guy" is normally created by children, from old clothes, newspapers, and a mask.

YOU GUYS!
Due to this old tradition of making an effigy of Guy in the manner of a scarecrow, during the 19th century, "guy" came to mean an oddly dressed person, but in American English it lost any pejorative connotation, and was used to refer to any male person. Today, "a guy" is simply "a man" and "guys" can be used both for men and women. The phrase "you guys" is used simply as the plural form of "you".

Humanities in a minute.

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
The Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's mercy he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and a burning match.

Noverber the 5th is celebrated in England, South Africa, Australia and some parts of Canada. The celebration goes back over 400 years to 1605 when Guy Fawkes and a group of conspirators tried to blow up Parliament in what is now known as "The Gunpowder Plot".

The conspirators were Catholics who were unhappy with the protestant leanings of King James. Leading out to November 5th, the gunpowder plotters rented cellar space below the House of Lords and amassed 800 pounds of gunpowder which they intended to blow up.

The plot was discovered when one of the conspirators warned a friend in the House of Lords not to show up on the 5th.

Fawkes and the other conspirators were captured and put to death. It was declared that November the 5th would be celebrated as a reminder that treason would never be forgotten.

Today, Guy Fawkes Day, also known as Bonfire Night, is celebrated with fireworks, bonfires and celebrations. Children stuff old clothing with newspapers and burn effigies of Fawkes.

This has been another "Humanities in a minute" that should never be forgot.