Celebrated in Williamsburg in Brooklyn since 1903, the feast commemorates the canonization of an ertswhile bishop from the southern Italian town of Nola.

The story, which is passed on through the generations on both sides of the Atlantic, is that around 410 AD, North African pirates overran the town of Nola.

In the chaos, Bishop Paolino was able to flee into the countryside with some of the children. Upon his return, Paolino learned, from a sobbing widow that many of the young men, her son included, had been abducted into slavery. Moved to compassion, Paolino offered himself in exchange for the boy and was ferried off, a prisoner of the brigands.

While in North Africa, word of the courage and self-sacrifice of Paolino spread and became known to a certain Turkish Sultan. Taken with the tale of altruism, the Sultan intervened, negotiating for the freedom of this holy man. Through the sultan 's efforts, Paolino and his paesani, were freed.

Overjoyed by his safe return, the entire town greeted him carrying lilies (gigli), symbolic of love and purity. That joyous homecoming jubilee is considered the very first observance of what would develop into an annual sacred event.

Through the years, various trade guilds farmer (ortolamo), butcher (beccaio), tailor (sarto), breadmaker (panettiere), blacksmith (fabbra), cobblers (calzolaio), deli merchants (salumiere), and wine makers (bettoliere) began to compete to produce the most sensational display of lilies.

(information taken from olmcfeast.com)