Experience Sicily

Tag: saint joseph’s day

  • Prayers for Thanksgiving, Charity, and Abundance

    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…

  • Burn the Old

    Annually on the night of March 18, it is customary for Sicilians to light purifying bonfires. Those faithful to Saint Joseph, or San Giuseppe, burn old and broken possessions they don’t want to carry into the new agricultural year that begins on March 19 with la Festa di San Giuseppe. Read more about la Festa…

  • Let’s Talk about Sfinci

    Saint Joseph’s Day, which is on March 19, is a complex feast day with many traditions based upon the concept of thanksgiving. You can read my detailed article about it on The Inquisitive Eater at http://ow.ly/uuAuT. But let’s cut to the chase: we all really want to know about dessert, right? That’s where sfince di…

  • Pasta with Sardines for Saint Joseph’s Day

    Among the main dishes eaten for Saint Joseph’s Day, or La Festa di San Giuseppe, is Pasta with Sardines, or Pasta con le sarde. The legend of how this dish came about is another post. So today, I’m just focusing on its relevance to the upcoming March 19th feast for Saint Joseph, which falls around…

  • It’s Sardine Season

    In winter and spring, sardines swim close to Sicily’s coast in order to mate. So, I guess you might call this time of year sardine season! As we approach Saint Joseph’s Day on March 19, I’ll tell you about some of the traditions of this major feast day in Southern Italy and Sicily. Sardines are…

  • Patron Saint of Fathers and Carpenters

    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…

  • St. Joseph’s Day Sfinci

    St. Joseph’s Day is about thanksgiving and abundance, but for many of us, the sfinci or spinci are the highlight of the feast. Sfinci are sponge-like (The name probably originates from the ancient Greek word for sponge.), fried cream puffs served hot with a dusting of cinnamon, confectioner’s sugar, and honey… or like these pictured,…

  • Loaves for Gratitude

    As an act of prayer, Saint Joseph’s Day altars are donned with intricate loaves, many shaped as carpentry tools such as ladders, hammers, and pliers, as a nod to Joseph’s occupation as a carpenter. Others, shaped like animals, represent the onset of spring and fertility. Learn more about La Festa di San Giuseppe at The Inquisitive Eater.…

  • Loaves for Thanksgiving

    This photo of a St. Joseph’s Day (or Festa di San Giuseppe) altar is by Salvatore Farina. It was taken in the town of Salemi which is renowned for its “tavolate” of bread and other foods particular to celebrating this very important Sicilian feast that takes place annually on March 19. I’ve written about it…