Does Guy Fawkes Night on November 5th commemorate the 1605 plot by a group of Catholics to assassinate the Protestant King by blowing up the Houses of Parliament?
Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night, is indeed a commemoration of a real historical event: the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Back then, England was ruled by King James I, a Protestant monarch. A group of Catholics, feeling marginalized and persecuted, hatched a plan to assassinate the King and other members of Parliament by blowing up the Houses of Parliament during the State Opening. Guy Fawkes was one of the plotters, and he was caught guarding the explosives beneath the House of Lords. The plot was foiled, and Fawkes, along with the other conspirators, was arrested and later executed. The 5th of November became a day to celebrate the King's survival and the failure of the plot. That's why, even today, we light bonfires, burn effigies of Guy Fawkes, and set off fireworks – all as a symbolic representation of the failed Gunpowder Plot and the triumph of the monarchy. So, the statement is true because it accurately reflects the historical context and the reason behind the annual celebration.
Remember, remember, the fifth of November, Gunpowder treason and plot... The saying points to the historical authenticity of the event.