The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast aka Giglio July 8–July 19
The wait will be over on the night of July 8, at 7 p.m. when the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast (OLMC) aka Giglio returns for its twelve-day run, ending on July 19.
The length of Havemeyer Street from North 8th to North 5th Streets (and the side streets along the way) will be filled with food stalls, live music, carnival rides and games, and a sincerity in the air (along with some cigar smoke) that gives this feast an authenticity to rival that other feast, IYKYK. It’s the community that fills the streets that prove this. Those who have lived here return to the feast. Those who live here now return to the feast. In addition, visitors and first timers from near and far come because they have heard about the dancing tower.
The tower, also known as the Giglio, stands at over 70 feet tall and is reported to weigh four tons. It is adorned with flowers, saints, and angels and 100 men carry it through the streets, swaying to the rhythm of a brass band that rides on the tower. A man with a baton, known as the capo, orchestrates the lift saying various commands in Italian that translate to: “You guys”, “On your shoulder”, “Easy, easy”, “Drop it”.
The dance of the Giglio is unforgettable on several levels. These men lift in unison during what are often the hottest days of the year. The experience of witnessing the stamina, the faith, the community is an event that will lodge in any memory.
The tower travels down Havemeyer Street with several stops, so the men can rest, on a journey to meet a boat, which carries The Turk and his entourage, also shouldered by a group of men. This is the foundation of the festival that honors the legend and history of Bishop Paolino of Nola, Italy who in 410 A.D. offered himself to pirates in exchange for a local boy’s freedom who was taken as a slave. The exchange was made, and when a Turkish sultan heard of this courageous act, he sailed to free the bishop. A similar feast began in Nola to celebrate the release of this bishop and the generosity of a stranger.
The OLMC Feast mirrors the feast in Nola because, when this feast began in Williamsburg in 1887 many of the Italian community in the neighborhood came from Nola. It serves the history of this community and it serves the current community as it is fundraiser for OLMC.
Here is some of the scheduled highlights for this year’s feast: Giglio Sunday (dancing of the Giglio and boat) July 12 from 1:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m.; Night Lift of the Giglio July 15 at 7:30 p.m.; (for the more devout and spiritual) the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel July 16 from 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; The Old Timers Lift July 19 starts at 2 p.m.
The other days of the feast will be fun-filled, with live music, delicious food, rides, games, and even a casino.
The OLMC Feast starts on July 8 at 7 p.m. and ends on July 19. It’s located on Havemeyer Street from North 8th to North 5th Streets and the side streets in between. For more info: www.olmcfeast.com
The Greenline 