St. Joseph's Day Dinner

 Just as in year's past I am celebrating St. Joseph's Day with my family. It falls on March 19th each year after the drunken haze of St. Pat's celebrations are well behind us. 

St. Joseph's Day has been celebrated by Italians since the Middle Ages. There was a major drought in Southern Italy and Sicily.  They prayed to St. Joseph for rain and the rain came saving the fava bean crop while other crops failed which kept them from starvation. As they prayed they said that if they were to be spared then they would celebrate a feast in the Saint's name every year to remember the miracle.  Depending on the region of Italy one is from they may celebrate a little differently but it is always a Lentin meal.

There are also always a few elements in every St. Joseph's Day display that are a must.  Lilies are always present as are doves.  Before Joseph was with Mary, he was suitor for the Blessed Mother and like every other suitor in the village he left a wooden staff to show his intentions outside her door. In the morning the staff left by Joseph had blossomed from the top into beautiful while lilies and doves flew from the staff. Mary knew he was the suitor to choose due to this and ever since we have associated these symbols with Joseph. Joseph also was a carpenter so wood is another essential element and just as the Irish have their St. Pat's green, it is red that is associated with St. Joseph.

While not as elaborate as some table scapes in Southern Italy, I made sure to still include all of the elements. I used red cloth napkins as a runner down the center of the table. I took three small bud vases to run down the table using olive branches on the outside but included the white lilies in the center vase. A small statue of St. Joseph and ceramic doves are of course also included.  For dishes, I used a mixture of my fine china with gold leave edge, green depression glass and fire king. 

My grandfather on my mom's side was "Grandpa Joe" and he always held St. Joseph's Day dear.  I chose to use the Fire King dishes because this light mint green was his favorite color. I think the mix of red, white and green gave an added Italian flair as well. 

Comment below, what ethnic traditions does your family celebrate that may not be mainstream?