St. Joseph’s Tables Celebrate A Beloved Saint

By Dr. Alberto Lunetta, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

Have you ever wondered why so many Italians are named Giuseppe? A very popular saint in Italy, San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph) was a carpenter, the foster father of Jesus, and the husband of the Holy Mary, and he is now this patron saint of fathers, the poor, workmen, the sick, and families. On March 19, is celebrated during the “Festa del Papà” (Father’s Day).

According to the Catholic tradition, the origin of the celebration dates back Medieval Sicily. Peasants invoked Saint Joseph after a terrible drought, and he answered their prayers, saving them from starvation.

Bread is at the heart of this celebration. Nowadays, we can choose from a variety of different breads at any market, so it might be difficult to understand its importance for the rural communities of the past. Peasants worked hard in the fields, and bread was their “reward.”

At the beginning of the 20th century, “pane” (bread) was almost considered holy in Sicily. “U pani non si ietta mai!” (bread should never be thrown away) is an expression uttered a thousand times in Italian households by parents and grandparents.

Bread as “holy food” is linked to the cult of San Giuseppe through rituals to fulfill vows and give thanks for miracles.

One of the most fascinating Saint Joseph’s traditions in Western Sicily takes place in Salemi, a town located in the province of Trapani. Here, devotion to San Giuseppe takes the form of altars decorated with local food that is symbolically offered to the poor and needy. This is one way townspeople publicly show gratitude to their celestial patron for a good harvest or for a miracle received in time of need or illness.

Elaborate bread altars have been an important part of Salemi’s public celebration since the 19th century. The “Cene di San Giuseppe” (St. Joseph’s Dinners), also called “St. Joseph’s Tables,” actually take place at midday. Tables at several venues throughout the city’s historic center hold a banquet offered to three children who symbolize the Holy Family. These children are referred to as “Santi” (saints) or “Virgineddi” (virgins).

Preparation for the dinner begins eight days before the festival. The tables must include between 19 and 101 courses, all meatless due to Lenten obligations. Spaghetti mixed with olive oil, breadcrumbs, sugar, cinnamon and parsley, along with different kinds of cakes and vegetarian omelets, is among the food choices offered to the young guests. The devotee who prepares the meal is someone who shows gratitude and reverence to San Giuseppe.

Another unique ritual in this celebration is conducted next to the tables: the construction of a chapel-like structure made of wood or iron. This chapel contains a three-tiered altar surrounded by an ornamental roof-like projection framed in myrtle and laurel and hung with lemons, oranges, and hundreds of small, ornately shaped breads.

The altars contain candles, crosses and other religious objects, flowers, select foods, a jar of wine, and three large, more intricately ornate breads (Cudduri) intended for the children. These breads, which represent the Holy Family, are set on the front steps while a large framed print of St. Joseph Despite the cancellation of the traditional public celebrations on March 19th, St. Joseph’s Feast Day, or of the Holy Family is placed at the due to the pandemic, devotees will still set up the elaborately-decorated altars in their homes to fulfill a promise or give thanks for a favor granted. Photo by Alberto Lunetta center of the chapel.

During the banquet, believers recite monologues and prayers known as Parti in honor of San Giuseppe. The three children offer food to the visitors, and the landlords offer visitors some of the food at the end of the meal, including some of the “blessed” bread.

This popular tradition has been kept alive in Salemi for a very long time, and every year it attracts thousands of tourists. This year, the traditional festivals held in the public squares of many cities across the island were canceled due to the pandemic. However, many Sicilians will still set up the traditional tables in their houses. Some of these displays will be open to visitors, so if you happen to walk around a town’s center, you might get a chance to take a glance at some of these masterpieces of religious devotion.

Salemi is located on a hill in the heart of the Trapani province. It can be easily reached through the CataniaPalermo highway. Once in Palermo, take the Palermo-Mazara del Vallo highway and exit Salemi. For more information visit the town of Salemi tourist information Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ pro.salemi/

The word bread is also closely connected to the town of Ramacca in Eastern Sicily where another big festival is held every year to honor San Giuseppe. Nestled in the hills of the plain of Catania, this picturesque town boasts a longstanding and unique “pane di casa” home-baked bread making tradition. Ramacca also participates in the famous St. Joseph’s Table tradition, but this year’s celebration was also canceled due to pandemic safety regulations.

In normal times in Ramacca, I guarantee you that the meatless offerings are as mouthwatering to the eye as to the palate! Tables display all sorts of Sicilian cakes, cookies and sweets (cannoli, fucacani, crostate, almond cookies, fig cakes, cucciddati), vegetarian omelettes, artichokes, asparagus, fava beans, fruit, chickpeas, flowers, fish, and more. The fresh bread on display on the altars is baked into distinctive and symbolic shapes including “a cuddura,” (ring shaped), the hearts (Holy Family), the Cross (Jesus’ Martyrdom) and the saint’s walking stick that, according to legend, miraculously sprouted flowers. Those beautifully ornate altars also showcase images of San Giuseppe, Jesus and the Holy Family, as well as laurel branches adorned with citrus fruits to symbolize the fertility of the earth.

In non-pandemic times, guides from the local tourist office (located in # 7 via Luigi Capuana) typically offer tourists a free tour of the main altars that are set up in private houses scattered throughout the historic center on March 18.

March 19 is also a day dedicated to the traditional free sampling of the “Pasta Co’ Maccu” (pasta with lentils and mashed fava beans) that is offered to tourists in piazza Umberto (main square). In the afternoon, foodstuff and offerings are auctioned for charity in the main square. In the evening, the procession featuring a chalk statue depicting San Giuseppe with the child Jesus carried shoulder-high by devotees is performed throughout the historic heart of Ramacca.

Due to its extensive and large fertile lands, Ramacca is a town of great farming tradition that has been known as a melting pot of Sicilians since the 18th century. If you are able to visit, make sure you check the variety of local produce from the farmers’ market. For more detailed information, visit the Ramacca Pro Loco tourist office Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/proloco.ramacca.

Despite the cancellation of the traditional public celebrations on March 19th, St. Joseph’s Feast Day, due to the pandemic, devotees will still set up the elaborately-decorated altars in their homes to fulfill a promise or give thanks for a favor granted. Photo by Alberto Lunetta