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3/18/2017 7:47 am  #1


Saint Joseph's Day

SAINT JOSEPH'S DAY



St. Patrick may get all the attention with the famous parades and green beer, but for some Italian Americans (including me) it means only two more days until St. Joseph's Day. Growing up in an Italian American family, St. Joseph's Day was always one of my favorite holidays: I could take the day off from school and all I had to do was visit relatives and eat! The tradition was brought over with the first immigrants and is still celebrated in both the old Italian American neighborhoods in the big cities and households nationwide. Every March 19, Italian Americans across the country will be sitting down to one of our favorite feasts.

WHY WE CELEBRATE ST. JOSEPH'S DAY
Even though St. Joseph played a prominent role in the early life of Jesus, He was not a highly venerated saint in much of Italy until the late middle ages. Today St. Joseph's Day is celebrated all over the country, but more so in the south. The origins of the Italian American version of St. Joseph's Day most likely date back to Medieval Sicily when the saint was said to have answered the people's prayers by ending one of the island's legendary droughts. Ever since, St. Joseph's day has been celebrated with a large Lenten feast often served to the entire village (or multi-family meals here in Italian American communities) and an elaborate altar dedicated to the saint.
 
THE ST. JOSEPH ALTAR
The altar tradition plays a major role in the veneration of St. Joseph and is the focus of the novena (nine days of prayer) before the actual feast day. The altars take on many shapes, some forming a cross while others occupy a corner table or an entire wall. Most of these altars are broken down before or shortly after the dinner, but I recall growing up that some altars became permanent displays. These permanent altars however, became overgrown with statues and crosses, flowers, oranges and lemons during St. Joseph's Day. Other decorations found on the altars include candles, religious medals, rosaries, prayer cards, fava beans and loaves of bread. Much of the altar, including the citrus fruits and breads will be given away to guests when it is broken down.



THE FOOD
The traditional foods served during St. Joseph's Day are symbolic of both the legends associated with the saint and the very real struggles of the Sicilian peasantry. The fava bean plays a prominent role in the feast and can be seen on both altars and in the traditional pasta dish. Once considered food for animals, the hardy bean was not affected by the droughts and famines of Sicily, making it an invaluable food source to the peasants. Wild fennel and chickpeas were also some of the few plants available to these poor people and thus became important parts of the Sicilian diet. These are just some of the simple and rustic ingredients that go into the unique Pasta di San Giuseppe.


A fond memory of mine involves visiting my grandparents days before the feast and having every flat surface in the house covered in drying home-made pasta. In the past this could be huge operation often involving several generations of several families working together for the communal feast. While doing research for this article I have discovered that the dish served for St. Joseph's Day varies among Italian American communities and is often considered a type of minestrone, whereas I always considered it a pasta dish.
 
In my experiences every family makes it a little different (all of them delicious) but includes the traditional ingredients of fava beans, fennel, cauliflower, chickpeas (sometimes) and flat, broad home made pasta noodles. The consistency ranges from a pasta and vegetable soup, to a pasta dish with a little broth, to pasta in a thick paste. Instead of cheese, many people serve this dish with "poor man's cheese" - breadcrumbs, which symbolize the sawdust of St. Joseph the Carpenter. Besides the pasta, other dishes may include fish, shellfish and of course bread, but traditionally no meat since the feast falls during Lent.
 
For those that still have room left, there is always dessert and St. Joseph's Day means the famous Zeppole di San Giuseppe. Zeppole are basically "Italian doughnuts" simply dusted with sugar, cinnamon and honey or (as usually found on the East Coast) filled with yellow cream and covered with whipped cream. Zeppole are delicious but where I grew up it seems that Pignolatta is more popular. Pignolatta (pronounced bin-u-lath-a in the dialect still heard in my town) is a pyramid of little fried pastry balls covered in honey, nuts and chocolate bits symbolic of a pine cone. Those of Neapolitan descent or other parts of Italy will know this dessert as Struffoli. Also served are equally filling fried ravioli filled with sweetened ricotta or chickpeas, but for those who want something lighter a citrus salad of oranges and lemons is found in many households.



 


We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists. 
 

3/18/2017 9:55 am  #2


Re: Saint Joseph's Day

Father Guido Sarducci: [ smoking cigarette ]

Thank-a you, thank-a you. Most-a people are very aware that-a Saint Patrick is-a the patron Saint of-a Ireland. He lived around-a the year 400, 500, right in-a there. Most people-a know him because-a they think that he chased-a the snakes from-a Ireland. But actually, that's not-a the truth. Really, he didn't-a chase them, he kind of-a led them. He was-a kind like a pied piper for snakes. I don't know, it was-a just something about him that snakes liked-a to follow him around, you know. And-a you may think-a that snakes go very fast and they do if they're just going short distances. But, like-a, when they're on a long journey, they go very, very slowly. And-a Saint Patrick, he had-a to walk-a very, very slow, and all of the snakes followed him, and then he tricked them. He went into the ocean, and they all followed him, and he went way, way out, and he waited till they all drowned, and then heswam back in. That's-a what he did.

You see, he was a good-a saint. But he wasn't a great-a saint. Like-a Saint Joseph, the patron saint of Italy. He's a great-a saint and not just a good-a saint. You know, Saint Joseph's named day is-a coming up-March 19th, only two days away. But-a, there won't-a be no parades, no parties, not even a song for Saint-a Joseph. And-a the reason is-a because of-a Saint Patrick. You know, it's just like having a birthday two days after Christmas-you just don't get-a the same attention, you know. And it just-a breaks my heart that he was a great-a saint, and this good, mediocre saint gets all-a the glory.

You know, you don't have-a a patron saint for the United States, but there are some American saints. Just the last couple of years they made-a some. The first was-a about-a two years ago. Her name was-a Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. Mother Seton-is-a what they call her. And she's got-a these nuns of her own order who lobby-they're real heavy-they came to Rome and everything. And it's amazing, you see. To be made a saint in-a the catholic church, you have to have-a four miracles. That's-a the rules, you know. It's-a always been that-a. Four miracles, and-a to prove it. Well, this-a Mother Seton-now they could only prove-a three miracles. But the Pope-he just waved the fourth one. He just waved it! And do you know why? It's-a because she was American. It's all-a politics. We got-a some Italian-a people, they got-a forty, fifty, sixty miracles to their name. They can't-a get in just cause they say there's already too many Italian saints, and this woman comes along with-a three lousy miracles. I understand that-a two of them was-a card tricks. Next thing you know, they're gonna be making Kreskin a saint. Saint Kreskin-they'll probably call him. It's a good one.

Well, I'm-a very happy to announce that-a next time you see me, I'm-a gonna be monsegnior. That's right. I was-a promoted. (audience applauds) Thank-a you, yes, thank-a you. Actually it's not until next week that-a they sign-a the papers, but nothing can-a stop me now, and I'm-a real excited getting the new costume, everything, you know. When you're monsegnior, you get to have a nice-a red stripe, (points to his right sleeve) and they say that-a nothing brings out the good veal in Italian restaurants than that-a red stripe, you know. I'm-a really looking forward to it. I just wish I was-a feeling better. Last night I got-a this-a tattoo (scratches left sleeve) and it's-a really been itching me. I have a little fever, and-a I hope I feel better by the ceremonies.

Well, it was-a more than-a wonderful spending a couple of moments with you. Bill, you can-a take it-a back-a please.


Life is an Orthros.
 

3/18/2017 10:08 am  #3


Re: Saint Joseph's Day

Quite seriously, on this day between the feasts of Patrick and Joseph, the universal Church (both Catholic and Orthodox alike) commemorate Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem.

This Saint was born in 315, and succeeded Maximus as Archbishop of Jerusalem in 350. He was zealous for the Orthodox Faith, and was a defender of the poor. He was exiled three times by the Arian Emperors Constantius and Valens. But after their death, he was recalled to his throne; he reposed in peace in 386. Of his writings, the most prominent are his catechetical lectures, which are considered the most ancient systematic summary of Christian teaching. Before Saint Cyril, there had been two dioceses, one of Jerusalem, and one of Holy Sion; under Saint Cyril, they were united into one bishopric. 

Apolytikion of Cyril, Abp. Of Jerusalem
Fourth Tone


A model of faith and the image of gentleness,
the example of your life has shown you forth to your sheep-fold to be a master of temperance.
You obtained thus through being lowly,
gifts from on high, and riches through poverty.
Cyril, our father and priest of priests,
intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls..


This Feast always occurs before Holy Pascha (Easter) and is a wonderful preparation for that great and glorious day.   Cyril's catechetical book "On the Liturgy" describes the Paschal Vigil as celebrated in Jerusalem in the 4th century.   Most of the rites and ceremonies he describes have been recovered by the West in the past 50 years and were never really abandoned by the East.

This is the crowning gem of his lecture:

    O strange and wonderful event!
    We were not really put to death,
    we were not really buried,
    we were not really crucified,
    we were not really brought back to life.
    But, though the imitation was symbolic,
    the salvation is very real!


    Christ was truly crucified,
    truly buried,
    truly raised up.
    And all this was given to us by a grace
    in order that we might share his sufferings by imitating them,
    and thus truly obtain salvation.
    How vast God’s love for humanity.
    Christ had his utterly pure hands pierced by the nails
    he suffered;
    and yet it is to me,
    who share in his sufferings without suffering or experiencing pain,
    that he gives the grace of salvation.


Life is an Orthros.
 

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