The Men Who Dance At The Giglio

The feast of the Giglio festival marks an annual traditional Italian festival. The festival takes place in southern Italy but also found its way into Brooklyn, New York, following the migration of nolani people. In Brooklyn, the festival takes place every July. The festival is a celebration of the homecoming of Saint Paolino di   Nola regarded as the town patron (The Men Who Dance the Giglio). people recall the saint following his selfless sacrifice for his abduction on behalf of the son of a window by North African pirates around 410 CE. The abductors carried the saint together with many young Italians into slavery. The Turkish sultan, however, noted the saint’s sacrifice and negotiated the release and that of his fellow Nolani. , the entire town lined up in the streets to welcome the nolani to what developed to become an annual feast. The feast is a dance that involves lifting and carrying a music band topped by a tower honoring the saint. The celebrations take place around the streets. Young men of honor carry the task of lifting the tower with the guidance of an experienced lifter. The giglio festival ties to a folk group. Notably, it is an Italian tradition ceremony marked with Italian food and culture.

Question 2

Like any other Italian festival, food centers around the Giglio festival. Sausages and sandwiches, steamed zeppoles, cannolis with freshly fried shells are the main food types on the event. Further, men hoisting statues on their shoulders s dance the Giglio. The performance of this dance occurs with two different statues. A four-story tall thin figure with adorned with flowers and a divine image standing on the top represents the Giglio. The other statue is a ship carrying children throwing flowers towards people below. The men dance and bounce, holding the statues on their shoulders. The Giglio festival takes place carrendically. Notably, the festival occurs in July every year. The feast of Giglio is an identity of the Italian character. The ritual component of the festival is evident because of the religious image placed on top of the statue (The Men Who Dance the Giglio). The image symbolizes an ordained catholic priest.

Further, the adornation using flowers and angels, the enormous wooden structure, is a symbol of saint Paolino. The men who take part in the dances wear white caps and t-shirts and neckchiefs. The giglio feastival is a ritual component. Notably, the events, and custumes marked during giglo festival are  defined and do not change depending on the location. Further, the sequence of events is orderly and only instructed by the ordained experienced members. An opening and closing ceremony marks the giglio festical.

Question 3

The giglio festival is an important festival in the Italians calendar. The itlians carry out the event as a special rememberance of the immigrants whose freedom resulted from saints paolino negotiations. The participants dedicate their lives in honor of the saint. Further, the honour and sacrifice carried out by the men is a continuation of their ancestry dfashion.

The festical is only dedicated towards honoring saint paolino. The feastival exhibits the twin laws of folklore. Notably, the festival begins with an opening ceremony whereby large crowds march towards the church and hold a mass. The closing ceremony takes place after the dancing men drop the statue. Additionally, the events that take place during ceremony are repetitive in all the festivities (The Men Who Dance the Giglio).

The feast of the giglio is an annual event marked in honor of saint paolino for his contributory efforts towards negotiating the release of the nolanis slaves. The event involves lifting of two statues by ordained men who follow the instructions of an experienced man. The statues are well beatified with flowers and drawing of angels. The spectators cheer the men lifting tonnes of the wooden statues Further, Food and dances mark the Italian tradition and culture.

Works Cited

The Men Who Dance the Giglio. 1995. folkstreams. https://www.folkstreams.net/film-detail.php?id=146. accessed 4/6/2020.