Happy St. Joseph's Day

Well hello blog friends, I hope you are having a fantastic St. Joseph's Day.  What?  You mean you don't celebrate St. Joseph's Day?  Well,you must not be a Catholic New Orleans Italian girl, like me!  Today is the day we take time to celebrate and give thanks to St. Joseph, who is the patron saint of workers, for protecting Sicilians from the worst famine in their history.  Given that New Orleans has a large population of Sicilian immigrants (my maternal grandfather's family being among them), the traditions that surrounded the feast of St. Joseph are still vastly present in New Orleans today. 

In many churches, parish halls, and even personal residences, you will find elaborate St. Joseph's Altars all over New Orleans on March 19th.  Placed on the altar or at the feet of the St. Joseph statue are breads, cookies, and other pastries that are so beautiful, it's hard to imagine wanting to take them home to eat.  If you were to tour one of the many Altars, you would leave with an Italian cookie and a lucky bean.  The Fava Bean was the only crop that grew in Sicily during the famine, so each year at the Altar you are given a new fava (lucky) bean to keep until the next year.  I have the one my mom mailed to me last year in my wallet!  It seems to be the luckiest Lucky Bean I've ever had - the Saints won the Superbowl!!

Weeks of work goes into putting together these beautiful Altars.  It is a tradition that has lasted for ages, and one that I hope we can continue.  If you want to learn more about the Altars and where you can find one today, click here.

I wish we were home to visit one of the Altars!