What is St. Josephs Day?
St. Joseph’s Day is March 19 and is mainly celebrated in Italy, as far as I know. They call it La Festa Di San Guiseppe. It’s a day of generosity toward others; much food is prepared and shared with the poor. The connection is the legend that long ago there was a severe drought in Sicily. The people prayed and prayed to St. Joseph, promising a big feast in his honor if rain came. The drought ended soon and the big feast went off, with large tables laid out in public and the poor invited to enjoy as much as they wanted. St. Joseph’s Day hasn’t quite caught on in the USA probably because it is overshadowed by St. Patrick’s Day, which did catch on and is of course two days before.
Catholic traditions of St. Joseph’s Day, 19 March. In Sicily and many Italian American communities thanks are given to St. Joseph (“San Giuseppe” in Italian) for preventing a famine in Sicily during the Middle Ages. The fava bean was the crop which saved the population from starvation, and is a traditional part of St. Joseph’s Day altars and traditions. Giving food to the needy is a St. Joseph’s Day custom. Saint Joseph’s Day always falls during Lent, and St. Joseph’s Day altars and feasts have no meat. However, since the feast day is classed as a solemnity, the requirement of abstinence from meat is technically abrogated, according to Canon Law, even if it falls on a Friday. If the feast day falls on a Sunday, the previous Saturday (March 18) is observed instead, and if it falls during Holy Week or Easter week, it is moved to the Monday after Low Sunday, or eight days after Easter (prior to 1970 the Tuesday after Low Sunday was used as the alternate date).
