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The Giglio
The Giglio is a 5-ton, 5-story tall hand-built, papier-mâché statue, which is carried by about 150 men in honor of San Paolino di Nola[2]. This man, a Roman Catholic Saint who lived in the 5th century A.D., is celebrated for his acts of sacrifice and bravery in the city of Nola. The Dance of the Giglio has been performed for over 300 years in Italy, and recently, in New York City. (A feast is also given to honor San Paolino.)[3] This tradition continued until the early 1940s, when many Italians from Astoria and surrounding neighborhoods fought in World War II. Astoria was one of the first places where the tradition resumed (in 1951). The tradition was disrupted again in the late 1980s when children of immigrants began moving to the suburbs. Italians in Astoria made a final attempt to resume the tradition in the 1990s, but it only lasted for a few years.[4]
Return to Immigrants in Astoria
References
- ↑ http://www.giglio-usa.org/images/Br%201997%20Giglio%20-%20Full%20View.jpg
- ↑ "What is a Giglio." Dance of the Giglio Feasts-USA. 25 Mar 2009 <http://www.giglio-usa.org/what_is_a_giglio.htm>.
- ↑ "Feast Origin and History." Dance of the Giglio Feasts-USA. 25 Mar 2009 <http://www.giglio-usa.org/Origin_History.htm>.
- ↑ "Feast Locations." Dance of the Giglio Feasts-USA. 25 Mar 2009 <http://www.giglio-usa.org/Feast_Locations.htm>.
