Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Giglio Feast 2009

[wlotus]

T and I met one of my photography buddies in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn yesterday for an afternoon of walking about. I saw a number of interesting things--there will be photos of the graffiti in another post--but the most interesting thing I witnessed was a religious festival at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church: the dancing of the Giglio. (Read a detailed history of the feast.)


The Giglio

The Brooklyn Giglio is a 65-foot, 4-ton, steel tower topped by a statue of San Paolino. (Other giglios are made of wood.) The priest and the Giglio Band stand on a platform at the base of the tower. While they play, paranzas (lifters) lift this entire structure and dance it in the street.


Walking the Giglio Off the Sidewalk


Dancing the Giglio


The Capo Paranza (#1 Lifter) Directs the Lifters With His Cane of Office


Lifting is HARD Work


Paranzas will often hold hands during a lift to strengthen one another.

Comments

[aamusedinatx.livejournal.com]

of course with my brain I read that as Gigilo... (crawls off to cringe in a corner)

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I had to go back and make sure I had properly spelled it! LOL!

[scream4noreason.livejournal.com]

Italian men lifting heavy objects, my kind of photos!

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

Hubba hubba. ;-)

[queenlyzard.livejournal.com]

*coughs* ...I misread that as "gigolo"

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

You aren't the only one. :-D