400 years on and still fomenting revolution: Guy Fawkes now the symbol of a generation of disenchanted Hong Kong youths

It's become a must-have wardrobe item for many anti-establishment protesters - including those in Hong Kong - and today, its origins will be celebrated across Britain with events as explosive as anarchy itself.

The Guy Fawkes mask has, in recent years, come to encapsulate a passion for protest and anger at the status quo.

But the origins of Guy Fawkes Day, also known as Bonfire or Fireworks Night, go back more than 400 years to a foiled attempt by Catholics to overthrow the Protestant king by blowing up the Houses of Parliament in 1605.

In Hong Kong, exactly a year ago tonight, about 50 protesters wearing Guy Fawkes masks created eye-catching scenes at the Occupy protest site in Admiralty, while another 100 sporting the mask occupied streets in Mong Kok.

Earlier this year in June, police seized several Guy Fawkes masks after 10 people were arrested for allegedly planning bomb attacks in Wan Chai and Admiralty during the Legislative Council debate on political reform. The porcelain-white mask with its rosy cheeks and devilish grin was first popularised in the 2006 dystopian movie , which was inspired by a 1988 graphic novel written by Alan Moore.

In September 2011, anti-capitalist protesters from the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York adopted the mask, giving rise to its relevance to a new generation of disenchanted youths. In October 2011, Hong Kong protesters, in solidarity with the Occupy cause, also wore the masks.