No St. Joseph altar in 2021.

  The St. Joseph Guild Members would like to express their sincere appreciation and gratitude to all for their donations of food, time, guidance, advice and monetary donations. The Guild members have put much love and labor into this gift to share with the public.

All donations to St. Joseph Altar are given to charity.

Thank you for your support of this much-loved labor of love.

History of St. Joseph Altar

St. Joseph's Day altars began as a custom brought to New Orleans by Sicilian immigrants. Sicily is a rocky island with erratic weather conditions with either droughts or torrential rains. The Sicilians’ mere existence was a daily struggle. A lengthy famine seized the island and the dry, cracked earth yielded no life-giving crops. The tradition of building the altar to St. Joseph began as far back as the Middle Ages in gratitude to St. Joseph for answering prayers for deliverance from famine.
 
Their prayers were answered as gentle rains fell to fill dry wells and streams and give birth to crops. Even coastal fishermen pulled in abundant catches where there had been no fish. The poor families… of farmers and fishermen wanted to pay homage to St. Joseph for answering their prayers. Since their very being was dependent on a fruitful harvest and the yield from the sea, they decided to offer these, their most valuable possessions, to St. Joseph. They constructed altars in their homes to share their good fortune with others in need.
 
The tradition grew… to a more public event on St. Joseph's Feast Day, March 19. Today the individuals who work on the altars are fulfilling their promises to St. Joseph "to share their blessings with those in need." Without exception, the altar workers explained that they contributed …to the altars not for their purposes, but St. Joseph, or a family member or friend.
 
One tradition entails begging for the supplies to build the altar. The altar must not incur "any expense nor any personal financial gain." As an act of devotion to St. Joseph, supplicants would promise to build an altar should their sons return home from war safely.
 
Part of the personal sacrifice involved was the act of begging for food.
 
Although there are perishable foods on the altars, a large portion of the bread, cookies and cakes are wrapped so that they may be given to charities after the altar is broken.
 
Baked redfish and twelve fried whole trout are placed on the altar. These are representative of Christ’s feeding the multitudes, yet others believe these represent the twelve apostles. Shrimp, crabmeat and tuna are used in stuffed vegetables.
 
"All of the items on the altar:  food, candles, medals, holy cards and fava beans are blessed by a priest in a special ceremony the afternoon before an altar is 'broken.' That evening people may visit to pray and leave petitions. Donations are collected for the poor."

Ceremony of the “Saints” - Tupa Tupa

("Tupa Tupa" in Italian means “Knock Knock")

The Bethlehem story is re-enacted at the St. Joseph’s Altar. Children are chosen to represent Jesus, Mary and Joseph, favorite saints and angels. Children dressed in costume knock at three doors asking for food and shelter. At the first two, they are refused. At the third door, the host of the Altar greets them and welcomes them with the words, “Whatever I have is yours, come and eat at my table.” The “saints” are then led to the altar table which is set with the finest linen, china, silver and crystal.
 
They are reverently served and the children and visitors remain quiet during this contemplative period. “Jesus” opens the ceremony by cutting the bread that is to be eaten by the “saints.” “St. Joseph” is always served first, and traditions denote the order in which the courses are presented. Except for the pasta, there are always three portions of the same food on each plate, symbolizing the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity and the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Orange segments and other fruits begin the feast, followed by bread, Pasta Milanese with Mudica, seafood, vegetables, cookies, desserts, as well as water and wine. Before the “saints” begin eating each of the courses, they must listen for the words, “Mangiate, santos dolces.” (Eat, sweet saints.)
 
At the close of the ceremony, the “saints” are given one of the symbolic breads to remind them of their participation. “Jesus” takes the cross, “Mary” the heart and “Joseph” the staff. The altar is then “broken” and all guests are invited to partake of this special meal.

Three-Tiered Altar

Altars were constructed in the form of a Latin cross with two additional tables running parallel to the length of the cross. This tripartite arrangement refers to the Trinity. The altar is constructed in three tiers, to represent the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. Draped simply in white, it may be adorned with a statue of St. Joseph or a picture of the Holy Family, which is always placed at the top of the altar surrounded by flowers, greenery and fruit.

Fresh Green Branch

A fresh green branch is placed over the doorway at the place where the altar is erected. This is to indicate that the public is invited to “participate in the ceremony and to share the food.”

Foods of the Altar

Cuccidati
 
This specially prepared bread may have a glossy finish of egg wash and sesame seeds and may also take the form of more common Christian symbols, i.e., the Monstrance, or Spada, the Cross Dove, a Crown of Thorns and Palms. Some of the breads are prepared with decorative interlace and filled with figs. Other symbolic imagery specific to St. Joseph might include tools used by a carpenter.

Pupaculova
 
A bread filled with dyed Easter eggs and baked symbolizes the coming of Easter. These breads may be eaten, but are often saved and during a storm, a small piece is thrown out and prayers are said in hopes that the storm will abate.
 
Wine and Fish
 
Wine bottles on the altar represent the miracle at Cana. The twelve whole fish represent the twelve apostles and the miracle of the loaves and fishes. As this custom is observed during the Lenten season, and the tradition was begun in Sicily where fish and shellfish were more common than meat, decorative breads in the form of shellfish are common.
 
Pignolatti
 
Pignolatti or GiGi’s are fried pastry kernels joined together in the shape of a pine cone or pyramids that represent "the pine cones Jesus played with as a child." There are also fluffy coconut bars, lamb and Bible shaped layer cakes.
 
Pasta Milanese
 
The main food on the altar, Pasta Milanese, is a tomato sauce made with a fish base (anchovy or fresh sardine) and anise greens and topped with “Mudica” (seasoned fried bread crumbs, served as a seasoning over the Pasta Milanese on St. Joseph's Feast Day and symbolizing sawdust). The food served to the public on St. Joseph’s Day is a reenactment of a promise made to St. Joseph for delivery from famine.

Citrus and Artichokes

Citrus fruits are common in the orchards of Sicily. People have several interpretations regarding the appearance of lemons on the St. Joseph's Day altars. A woman said that the lemons are for young married women who want to become pregnant. Still, others mentioned that during certain periods, the lemon was a luxury, so its appearance on the altar is a way of returning one’s good fortune to others. It has been said that it was good luck to "steal" a lemon from the altar, leaving hidden coins behind for the poor. We were told that a lemon blessed on St. Joseph's altar will not turn black and is a symbol of good luck.
 
Artichokes figure prominently in the food served and when they are available in abundance, stuffed artichokes may also appear on the altars. Other images specific to Sicily include grapes, olives and figs, referring to the orchards and vineyards in Sicily.

Fava Beans and Bags

Perhaps the most ubiquitous symbol to be found on the altar is the lucky Fava Bean. The fava beans are dried, roasted and blessed. They become the very popular "lucky bean" or “Buona Raccolata” which means good harvest. The gift of a blessed bean is the most well known of the customs associated with the St. Joseph's Day altar. During one of Sicily's severe famines, the fava bean thrived while other crops failed.

It was originally grown for animal fodder, but food of the farmers and their families. Legend has it that the person who carries a 'lucky bean' will never be without coins. The fava bean is a token of the St. Joseph's Altar, and a reminder to pray to St. Joseph, particularly for the needs of others. Small bags are given as keepsakes to all who visit the altar. Each bag may contain a blessed medal, holy card, fava bean, cookies and bread.

Symbolism of the St. Joseph Altar:

Bible:  large cake that is one of the focal points of the altar
 
Chalice:  consecration of the Bread and Wine at the Last Supper
 
Cross:  Crucifixion of Christ
 
Cuccidati:  represents the Crown of Thorns
 
Dove:  the Holy Spirit
 
Fish:  Christian symbol of Jesus Christ, Fisher of Men
 
Foretell:  the coming of Easter, also, fish, birds and flowers
 
Hearts:  Sacred Heart of Jesus, Immaculate Heart of Mary
 
Lamb:  Jesus, the Lamb of God
 
Monstrance:  (Spada) holds the Sacred Host
 
Palms:  palm of martyrdom, also the palms cast at the feet of Jesus as He entered Jerusalem
 
Pupucoulova:  basket containing dyed eggs
 
Symbols of St. Joseph:  lilies, staff, sandals, beard, ladder, saw, hammer, nail
 
Wreaths:  crown of thorns, also symbol of eternal love