WTI Magazine #33    2014 June, 4
Author : folclore.it      Translation by:

The Gigli Festival of Nola is an ancient festival to honor St. Paulinus Bishop, who lived in the fifth century and devoted himself to the poor people by giving all of himself including his freedom, going captive of the Vandals in Africa in the place of the son of a poor widow.

Once in Africa, however, he managed to obtain the respect of the king, and the release of all his fellow citizens. The population of Nola, rushed to celebrate the freed prisoners on their return to the homeland, paid them a tribute of flowers and lilies cultivated on the fields along the way.

Today flowers have become eight wooden obelisks of 25 meters each: people from Nola repeat their homage to their patron saint as a sign of gratitude and affection every Sunday after June 22.

There are various important moments of faith and celebration throughout the week, which culminates with the parade of Sunday afternoon. Lilies and a boat are carried on the shoulders of about a hundred men called "collatori" which constitute the different "paranze ", each with a different uniform, marching to the beat of traditional music bringing the flowers all over the streets of Nola.

Each lily represents a different corporations of arts and crafts that went to meet and pay respect to the saint; and the boat shows, of course, the means by which St. Paulinus returned home.

The rejoicing of the population, the labor and the faith of the "collatori" are to see and share, to be able to fully enjoy the special and genuine ways to celebrate and pay respect to folklore, religion, culture and traditions that still live under every Italian steeple.