Watch the Giglio Dance in Brooklyn

For the past ten years or so, the north Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg has been identified primarily with avant-garde art galleries, stylish bars, and of-the-moment restaurants, but every summer, residents are reminded of a much deeper history. Each July, the neighborhood hosts the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a festival that honors a Catholic saint named Saint Paulinus with music, food, parades, and the famous dancing of the giglio. For those who don't know, giglio is the Italian word for lily, and in this case it refers to an 80-foot tall, three-ton statue (pictured) that is carried and "danced" along Havemeyer Street by about 130 thick-necked men known as the Giglio Boys.

The festival dates back more than 100 years, when immigrants from the Italian town of Nola brought their Old Country traditions to Brooklyn. Today, the feast unfolds much as it has since 1903, with two weekends of giglio (and boat) dancing, along with a daily carnival. The carnival isn't much different than any New York street fair, with your standard sausage and peppers, funnel cakes, and dangerously unsafe carnival rides, but to see the Giglio Boys (pictured) lift the enormous statue - along with the capos and the brass band that sit atop its base - is to witness a unique New York spectacle. The tower sways back and forth dramatically with every step, looking like it might fall over. This year's feast lasts through Sunday, July 19, so if you're in Brooklyn tonight or tomorrow, drop by and bring your camera to experience, in the words of the locals, "heaven touching Brooklyn in July."

[Photos: Victor Ozols]

Related Stories
· Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast [Official Site]
· Giglio Feasts USA [Official Site]
· Carrying On an Italian Tradition [NY Daily News]
· Religious Festival Travel [Jaunted]

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