Last night, Hillary, Nina, and I went to the Giglio Feast in our neighborhood. This is an annual event that lasts about a week and has been going on in Brooklyn since about 1907. The main event is ‘the dancing of the giglio’ and is pictured here. About 130 men lift this platform, which holds the tall tower, an older gentleman with a microphone and a band. They march it up and down Havemeyer street, performing a few special lifts wherein they may bounce or spin the platform. Here is a site that has information on the various feasts in the USA. And Here is a site that is specific to the one here in Williamsburg. It has a long history. A few men get the honor of being a “Capo,” which is a position of honor among the carriers. A Capo is in charge of a subgroup of lifters of the giglio. All I know is that you have to have been involved for many years to receive this honor.
This is the kind of thing that reminds me that I live in a real neighborhood with history and community and it makes me feel good to be a Brooklynite.