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| The 123rd Annual Festa dei Giglio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn |
By Niccolò Graffio
When the first waves of refugees from the fall of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies began arriving on the shores of this country around 140 years ago, the immediate concern of these people was to find shelter as well as work to put food in their bellies. Being the proverbial strangers in a strange land, as immigrants are often wont to do, they settled in tight-knit communities among their own paisani where they felt safe and comfortable. As time progressed and these communities grew and became established, their members began to engage in rituals (especially religious rituals) associated with "the old country" in order that their way of life might survive and be passed down to their children.
One of these thriving communities was established in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, home to thousands of Napoletani, mainly from the town of Nola. The central ritual which served to bind this community was/is, the Festa dei Giglii ("feast of the lilies"); a feast in honor of the patron saint of Nola: Paulinus.
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| Scenes from the Feast (Photos courtesy of New York Scugnizzo) |
This year marks the 123rd anniversary of the Festa dei Giglio in Williamsburg, and the first time yours truly attended. It wasn't from lack of interest that I avoided this wonderful street festival in times past. Rather, it was from lack of awareness of its existence.
Walking along Havemeyer St. towards Padre Pio Way among the throngs brought back memories of my youth in Corona, Queens and the street festivals of that area's long-vanished community of Southern Italians. The ubiquitous street vendors hawking such savory delights as zeppole and braciole brought pangs of hunger to my stomach as well as a tear of joy to my eye!
The height of the festivities was the "dance of the giglio", consisting of 100 sturdy volunteers hoisting a five-story structure on their shoulders and parading it (and the live band performing on it!) through the streets around Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church.
The festival runs daily until Sunday, July 18. The next "dance of the giglio" will be this Thursday evening, July 15th, at 8 PM. The final dance will be on Sunday at 1 PM. I had a great time! This was my first time attending, but it definitely will not be my last. To those out there who, like myself, feel a strong attachment to the ethnos, I urge you to make an appearance and show solidarity with our Napoletani brothers and sisters. Ciao!
