March 19 is the Festa di San Giuseppe or Saint Joseph’s Day. Legend is that in Sicily and southern Italy during the 10th century, a drought caused a severe famine. The faithful prayed to Saint Joseph to bring rain, and in return, they promised to hold a feast in his honor. Rain and recovery from hunger did come, and since then, Saint Joseph has been one of the most venerated saints south of Rome. Each year in preparation for the Feast, devotees build “tavolate” or altars in honor of the Saint.
I’ve written about the annual celebration and the tavolate in my article “Saint Joseph’s Day: Loaves for Thanksgiving, Charity, and Abundance” on the Inquisitive Eater at http://ow.ly/uuAuT