Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast Day: A 130-Year Brooklyn Tradition

Annual Feast Day Celebration

• 🗓️ The annual Feast Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a Brooklyn tradition that has been celebrated for over 130 years.
• 📍 The event takes place in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, bringing together two Italian-American festivals into a globally recognized celebration.

Religious Significance and History

• ⛪ The celebration begins with a sacred mass, drawing hundreds of worshippers to the shrine church.
• 📜 The feast honors Our Lady, who in 1251 gave the scapular to St. Simon as a gift and a promise of her assistance.
• 🇮🇹 The tradition dates back to 1887, brought to New York City by immigrants from Italy, making it one of the oldest and largest parish feasts in the city.

The Dancing of the Gilio

• 🏗️ The feast is combined with the world-famous dancing of the Gilio, a tradition marking a thousand-year-old story.
• 🧍‍♂️ The Gilio is a 78-foot structure, weighing approximately 2.5 tons, carried by about 100 men.
• 🏆 Carrying the Gilio is considered a rite of passage for young boys, with participants like Brian Alco having done it since 1998.
• 🌟 The story commemorates St. Polinus sacrificing himself to save his neighbors from pirates, being greeted as a hero with towers of lilies.

Community Devotion and Heritage

• ❤️ Longtime locals, like Nicholas Yasando who has participated for over 70 years, express deep devotion, returning annually despite moving away.
• 🗣️ Participants emphasize continuing traditions and celebrating their Italian-American heritage.
• 🚶‍♀️ The celebration includes a procession featuring a 100-year-old statue of Our Lady, with more Gilio dances scheduled.