Community Chat

[Carmie]

We are Italian and never celebrated St. Joseph’s Day.  I went to an Italian Church and an Italian school and everyone in my neighborhood was Italian except for one Croatian family.

We are not from Sicily.

[cherry]

Ann Maloney, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

St. Joseph Day Altars are a tradition in New Orleans

St. Joseph Day traditions, symbols and, yes, superstitions are as varied as the offerings you will find on altars throughout the city. Ask why one does such and such and you'll find similar stories, but often with twists and turns based on culture, church and family lore. The altars have long been celebrated in New Orleans, where Sicilian immigrants imported the tradition during the 19th century. Here's a look at 13 of the common and uncommon ways to take part on March 19.

Visit an an altar, like this large one at St. Joseph Church in Gretna, on March 19, the feast day of St. Joseph. (NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune archive)

Visit an altar

A St. Joseph’s Altar or la tavola di San Giuseppe can be found in a private home, a church or in more unusual places in New Orleans, such as Rouses Markets, restaurants, bars or hotel lobbies. Find one near you or make a pilgrimage throughout the day on March 19, visiting as many as you can. Here is a list of public altars from the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Freeze bread the small piece of Italian bread inside the goodie bags given out at most altars for use later to ward off storms. (NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune archive)

Freeze bread to ward off hurricanes

Many altars offer gift bags to visitors. They usually contain sweets, such as fig cookies, a piece of bread, a blessed fava bean and a prayer card. Rather than eat the bread, some New Orleanians believe you should put it in the freezer. Then, when the next storm is approaching, say a prayer break the bread and scatter it in your yard to protect your property.

Study the breads and pastries for symbolism: St. Lucy's Eye Pies feature a top crust with the eyes cut out to pay homage to the patron saint of the blind. (Photo by Kathleen Flynn, Nola.com / The Times-Picayune)

Learn from the breads and pastries

The altars are laden with symbols, especially when it comes to the breads and pastries. Here are a few things to look for: Pupa cu l'ova, bread baked with dyed eggs that heralds the coming of Easter. Heart-shaped breads represent the Sacred Heart of Jesus or the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Breads shaped like hammers or other tools represent Joseph's work as a carpenter. Other breads may be shaped like lambs, doves, crosses and staffs. St. Lucy's Eye Pies feature a top crust with eyes cut out to pay homage to the patron saint of the blind and visually impaired. Pignolata symbolize pinecones played with by the child Jesus.

Sprinkle breadcrumbs

Look for crumbs or mudrica scattered over pasta or a stuffed artichokes. The crumbs symbolize sawdust that carpenters, like St. Joseph, had in their work areas. They also can be symbols of the dust associated with drought and famine.

Swipe a lemon? The tradition says that if a woman steals a lemon, she will find a husband. (Photo by Kathleen Flynn, Nola.com / The Times-Picayune)

Steal a lemon, get a husband

Citrus are common on St. Joseph’s Day altars. The tradition says that if you steal a lemon, you will find a husband (or a wife, one assumes). Italy is among the world's largest producers of lemons.

No meat is allowed on St. Joseph Day altars, but seafood is plentiful, such as this Pasta Cu Li Sarde Milanese. (Photo from Andrea's restaurant)

Abstain from meat

You will find no meat on traditional St. Joseph Day altars. St. Joseph’s Day falls on a Saturday during Lent in 2016, but it is tradition that the altar be free of meat. Stuffed vegetables and seafood dishes, however, are just fine. Check out this recipe from Andrea’s for Pasta Cu Li Sarde Milanese.

A three-tiered 'altar' pays homage to the Divine Trinity, and traditionally features a statue or photo of St. Joseph at the top. (NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune archive)

Think in threes

A three-tiered "altar" or table pays homage to the Divine Trinity, and traditionally features a statue or photo of St. Joseph and sometimes the Holy Family -- Jesus, Mary and Joseph -- on the highest tier.

Traditionally, the fava bean is blessed by a priest and becomes a talisman for good fortune. Here, the Rev. Otis Young of St. Peter Church on the campus of St. Peter School in Covington, blesses the altar on Thursday, March 19, 2015. (Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com |The Times-Picayune)

Keep fava beans for luck

The traditional bean is blessed by a priest and becomes a talisman for good fortune. At most altars, visitors are given a lucky bean to take home with you. St. Joseph reportedly sent the rains, which nourished the fava beans, which in turn fed the famished Sicilians. The custom is to carry a fava bean in your wallet or handbag for luck.

Make a donation: All donations, written petitions and uneaten food is donated to charitable organizations. (NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune archive)

Make a donation

Monetary donations to the altar go to the needy as does the leftover food. No one who builds the altar should benefit financially from the work, according to tradition. It is done as a gift of thanks.

Get in the spirit by lighting a candle or leaving a note of thanksgiving or a petition for prayers. (Photo by Kathleen Flynn, Nola.com / The Times-Picayune)

Get in the spirit

Greet one another with “May St. Joseph smile on you.” Most altars have candles that can be lighted as well as boxes where the faithful can leave notes of thanksgiving or petitions for prayers.

Olives, olive oil and salad often play a role in the dishes on a St. Joseph Day altar. They are reminders of the many orchards of Sicily. (stock)

Dig into olives

Along with fish, citrus and Italian pastries, altars feature other foods common to Italy and Sicily. Olives often play a role in the dishes on the altar. They are reminders of the many orchards of Sicily.

Members of the 'holy family' take their places at a table for 'Tupa Tupa,' a re-enactment of the holy family seeking shelter during a St. Joseph's altar at St. Peter Church on the campus of St. Peter School in Covington. (Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com |The Times-Picayune)

Enjoy the pageantry

Children portray the holy family, Jesus, Joseph, Mary and angels, who re-enact the holy family’s search for shelter. "Joseph'' acts out the Tupa Tupa (knocking on two doors) before the final door is opened the "family” enters. At traditional altars, the "holy family'' is fed before the general public.

Wear something red

Colors associated with St. Joseph are said to be red or gold, with many wearing some red clothing to symbolize their faith.

[cherry]

Customs of the Day

St. Joseph's Day is a big Feast for Italians because in the Middle Ages, God, through St. Joseph's intercessions, saved the Sicilians from a very serious drought. So in his honor, the custom is for all to wear red, in the same way that green is worn on St. Patrick's Day.

Today, after Mass (at least in parishes with large Italian populations), a big altar ("la tavola di San Giuse" or "St. Joseph's Table") is laden with food contributed by everyone (note that all these St. Joseph celebrations might take place on the nearest, most convenient weekend). Different Italian regions celebrate this day differently, but all involve special meatless foods: minestrone, pasta with breadcrumbs (the breadcrumbs symbolize the sawdust that would have covered St. Joseph's floor), seafood, Sfinge di San Giuseppe, and, always, fava beans, which are considered "lucky" because during the drought, the fava thrived while other crops failed (recipes below).

The table -- which is always blessed by a priest -- will be in three tiers, symbolizing the Most Holy Trinity. The top tier will hold a statue of St. Joseph surrounded by flowers and greenery. The other tiers might hold, in addition to the food: flowers (especially lilies); candles; figurines and symbolic breads and pastries shaped like a monstrance, chalices, fishes, doves, baskets, St. Joseph's staff, lilies, the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts, carpentry tools, etc.; 12 fishes symbolizing the 12 Apostles; wine symbolizing the miracle at Cana; pineapple symbolizing hospitality; lemons for "luck"; bread and wine (symbolizing the Last Supper); and pictures of the dead. There will also be a basket in which the faithful place prayer petitions.

The cry "Viva la tavola di San Giuse!" begins the feasting and is heard throughout the day. When the eating is done, the St. Joseph's altar is smashed, and then three children dressed as the Holy Family will knock on three doors, asking for shelter. They will be refused at the first two, and welcomed at the third, in memory of the Holy Family's seeking of hospitality just before Christ was born. This re-enactment is called "Tupa Tupa," meaning "Knock Knock."

The day ends with each participant taking home a bag that might be filled with bread, fruit, pastries, cookies, a medal of St. Joseph, a Holy Card and/or a blessed fava bean. Keep your "lucky bean," and let it remind you to pray to St. Joseph. (The Litany of St. Joseph would be most appropriate today! You can download the Litany, in Microsoft Word .doc format, in English and in Latin).

Recipes for the day:

Minestrone alla Tucciarone (serves 10)

4 TBSP olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
5 carrots, sliced
6 cups vegetable stock*
Large can diced tomatoes and its juice
Large can crushed tomatoes and its juice
Large jar Great Northern Beans or Cannellini Beans, undrained
2 small zucchinis, quartered and sliced
2 summer squash, quartered and sliced
1 can corn, undrained -- optional
1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach -- optional
2 TBSP chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tsp. dried) -- approx.
1 TBSP chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried) -- approx.
2 TBSP chopped fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried) -- approx.
1 TBSP fennel seeds, approx., to taste (this is key)
salt and pepper to taste

For serving:
Small pasta, cooked separately just before serving -- optional
Shredded Provolone and grated Parmesan for topping
1 tablespoon olive oil

Over medium-low heat, in a large pot, heat olive oil and saute garlic for 2 to 3 minutes (do not let brown!). Add onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots, saute for 1 to 2 minutes more. Add stock and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Reduce heat to low and add beans, corn (if using), spinach (if using), zucchini, squash, oregano, basil, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Simmer an hour. Ladle soup into bowls, and add cooked pasta (if desired). Sprinkle cheeses on top. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with crusty bread. Better the next day.

* Use more, or use V-8, tomato sauce, water, etc. for more liquid.


Pasta di San Giuse (pasta with breadcrumbs that symbolize sawdust)
 
Note: This recipe came from my parish's website, and was said to be in tribute of "Mamma Giglio." I don't know who Mamma Giglio is, but I don't want to omit the dedication to an Italian Mamma!

Cooked pasta

Sauce:
2 TBSP olive oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cups chopped fresh fennel
2 cups crushed tomatoes
2 TBSP tomato paste
1 TBSP chopped fresh basil
4 cans of drained, skinless, boneless sardines

Heat oil in large pot, and saute in it the garlic and pepper flakes. Add the fennel, tomatoes, paste, and basil. Cover and let simmer 30 minutes 'til fennel is tender. Add the sardines and simmer a few more minutes.

Topping:
1 TBSP olive oil
1 cup fine homemade breadcrumbs

Heat oil, and add crumbs and heat until golden brown. Pour sauce over the pasta, then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.


Sfinge di San Giuseppe (St. Joseph's Cream Puffs)

Sfinge:
1 cup water
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 TBSP sugar
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
1 cup sifted flour
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 TBSP Cognac or vanilla

Filling:
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup grated dark chocolate
2 TBSP finely chopped pistachios

Garnish:
Powdered sugar
Lemon rind

Put water, butter, granulated sugar, lemon rind, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, and as soon as the butter has melted, remove from heat. Add the flour all at once, stirring constantly and with vigor.

Return the pan to the heat, and stir constantly until the mixture forms a ball and comes away from the sides of the pan. Cook just a little longer, until you hear a slight crackling, frying sound. Remove the pan from the heat, and cool slightly.

Add the eggs, one at a time. Be sure that each egg is thoroughly blended into the mixture before you add the next. Stir until smooth and thoroughly blended . Add the Cognac or vanilla. Cover the dough and let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400º F.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonsful on a buttered cookie sheet or onto parchment-lined sheet (better!), leaving 2 inches between the sfinge. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.

Filling: Mix the ricotta, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, and pistachios. Just before serving (so they don't get soggy!), cut off the tops of the sfinge and fill; place top back on after filling. Arrange on platter, sprinkle with powdered sugar to make them pretty, and garnish platter with lemon rind.


Fava Beans

1 lb. dried fava beans
1 bunch green onions
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
3 bay leaves
chopped parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Cook dried fava beans in boiling water until tender, adding more water as needed. Sauté seasonings in olive oil 'til tender, then add to beans. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in soup bowls.

A most fascinating and beautiful thing that happens today is the return of the cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) to the Mission of San Juan Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano, California. The mission -- one of the oldest buildings in California, and a part of a string of 21 missions that line California's coast -- was founded on 1 November 1776, the Feast of All Saints, by the Franciscan priest, Bl. Junipero Serra, in honor of St. John Capistrano. It was begun the year before, with members of a friendly Indian tribe helping to build, but when word came that the Mission of San Diego was attacked by an unfriendly Indian tribe, the bells were buried and everyone took shelter until building could continue.

When the mission was finally completed, a small town grew up around it, and this is where the legend of the swallows -- "las golondrinas" -- begins. It is said that one of the priests noticed a storekeeper in town angrily sweeping down the swallows’ nests and chasing away the "dirty birds." The priest, being a Franciscan, of course invited the poor little birds to the Mission where there was "room for all." The birds, sensing the spirit of St. Francis around the place, followed and have remained loyal to the Mission ever since. No matter the origins of the story, the fact is that each year on 23 October, the swallows fly south for 7,500 miles to Goya, Argentina. There they winter until the end of February when they make their way home, arriving back at the Mission of Capistrano on St. Joseph's Day, where they are greeted with the ringing of church bells and great festivities. Click hear to listen to the chatter of these lovely birds. A love song was written with this return of the swallows as its focal point; it was recorded by the Ink Spots, Glenn Miller, Pat Boone, and Elvis Presley (click here for an MP3 of the Inkspots's version of this lovely song):

When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano
Words and Music by Rene Leon, Copyright © 1940/1969

When the swallows come back to Capistrano
That's the day you promised to come back to me.
When you whispered farewell in Capistrano
'Twas the day the swallows flew out to the sea.

All the mission bells will ring
The chapel choir will sing
The happiness you'll bring
Will live in my memory.

When the swallows come back to Capistrano
That's the day I pray that you'll come back to me.

While the altar candles burn
My heart is burning too
If you should not return
I'll still be waiting for you.

When the swallows come back to Capistrano
That's the day I pray that you'll come back to me,
That's the day I pray that you'll come back to me.

St. Joseph is symbolized by carpenters' tools and the lily, and is usually represented in art holding the Baby Jesus. He is the patron of the Church, the dying, a holy death (because it is believed he died in the company of Our Lord and Lady), happy family life, married people, carpenters, workers, and the fight against Communism.

[SandPiper]

@spiderw My dad was Calabrese and my mom was Slovak. I continue both traditions. 

St Joseph’s day is a double celebration for us. It is also DH’s name day, which is celebrated on my Slovak side. 

[ALRATIBA]

My SIL's father was from Sicily (Partanna).  Her mother was born in Latina - just a short distance from Rome.  (They met during WWII.)

We visited both sides of her family when we were in Italy.  The difference was like night and day.

My DH's mother's family was heavy-duty Sicilian.  DH's father was from Naples.  

Each area has it's own "personality" and traditions ... and food!

[Lucky Charm]

@Laura14wrote:

I've been Italian my whole life 

---

This starting line cracked me up!

[cherry]

@ALRATIBA  I recall a priest mentioning this very thing. He said his Grandmother had a spice/herb not used in other parts of Italy ,and when he went to use some ,his Grandmother slapped his hands. He said he  was surprised it was even in her kitchen

He bought his father a recording of O Solo Mio, and when his Dad heard it sung, with a different  Italian accent, he had a fit. Fr .asked him what the matter was ,and he said you can't sing this song, with that accent..

[ALRATIBA]

@cherry

My MIL spoke with a Sicilian dialect ... she could understand Italian, but the Italian speakers could not understand her.

[golding76]

cherry,

I absolutely love your last post!

Ah, the bel canto songs of Napoli!  I can well understand wanting a Neapolitan accent and no other to sing it.

Hilarious!

[Bri36]

I didn't know that the bread crumbs served with the Pasti Sarde represented sawdust.  That's really interesting.

Today we're burying a St. Joseph statue in front of the house we're selling.  I thought it apropos to wait until today to do it on his Feast Day.