Giglio Stands Taller and Salutes America’s 250th

Msgr. Jamie J. Gigantiello salutes the crowd in front of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) church while he rides on the Giglio tower. *Photo credit: Lori Ann Doyon*

The Giglio danced again for its 139^th year, and this year it also recognized the 250^th anniversary of America’s founding. This year, the t-shirt commemorating 2026’s the Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) Feast were red, white, and blue and mentioned America’s 250^th. The usual green, white, and red confetti launched from the Turk’s boat added a lot of blue to celebrate the Italian heritage united with the land of opportunity that became home to the Italian immigrants during the turn of the 20^th century.

The Turk raises his sword and it rains red, white, blue, and green confetti. *Photo credit: Lori Ann Doyon*

The weather smiled on Giglio Sunday – as the temperature didn’t rise above 84 °F, but lifting a four-ton tower is sweat inducing work. Also the temperature along Havemeyer Street, where the feast happens, is increased with the food vendors frying up zeppoles and sausage and peppers, plus thousands of shoulder to shoulder spectators. As the Giglio tower reached the halfway point to the boat, the NYPD calculated there were 25K people there.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel church and the crowd of viewers in front of the church on Havemeyer Street. *Photo credit: Lori Ann Doyon*

United strength is what lifts the tower and the boat. The feast’s foundation is faith and family. The reason why there are two different dates cited for this feast is that 139 years ago a feast was started to celebrate Mary, the mother of Jesus under the name Our Lady of Mount Carmel. A few decades later, the Giglio tower festivities began as a celebration of Saint Paulinus, and the two feasts were joined.

More than a month before the OLMC Feast begins a lot of work goes into creating the tower: design, sanding, painting, etc. This year’s is reportedly 72 feet tall. *Photo credit: Lori Ann Doyon*

Deacon Phil Franco (center) is among the boat lifters. *Photo credit: Lori Ann Doyon*

According to the OLMC Feast website the credit goes to The Societa M.S. San Paolino which plans and manages the annual feast as a part of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Annunciation Parish. “The mission of our society is to preserve the Italian-American tradition of the feast in honor of San Paolino di Nola and Our Lady of Mount Carmel.”