The traditions of Saint Joseph
Choose a holiday home Keys of Sicily and come to discover what traditions accompany the 19 March in Sicily : on this day we celebrate not only the Father’s Day, but especially that of Saint Joseph, which in Sicily represents the spirituality of the island. Let’s discover together the traditions that accompany this day. The dinners of Saint Joseph in the Iblei The Dinners of Saint Joseph in the Iblei are real votive banquets. They are made a little throughout Sicily and are still present in the area of Ragusano. They are renewed every year in a triumph of flavors, scents and colors. The Dinners of San Giuseppe are usually set up in private houses, the ground floors are privileged, respecting the local traditions and are family. They are dinners that are usually made by “grace received” that sometimes become the public display of an offering addressed to the Saint and the Holy Family. In Santa Croce Camerina , the celebration of the feast in honor of Saint Joseph, dates back to 1830 and was established, perhaps for the first time, by the Baron Guglielmo Vitale. For the anniversary of Saint Joseph, where the tradition is still very much felt, the traditional dinners in honor of the saint are prepared. The Dinners of Saint Joseph in the Iblei, have an ancient origin and as anticipated, are laid out, by grace received. As tradition dictates, a Tapestry is attached to the wall above the altar, where a painting depicting the Holy Family is placed, surrounded by lemons, bitter oranges and orange branches. On the altar (the table laid), a lamp burns and next to it is placed every good of God. Usually you can find the specialties of the territory that make a fine show of themselves, a mixture of sweet and savory. Sull’altare, anticamente si trovavano anche dei piatti di frumento, di ceci o di lenticchie germogliati e svariate forme di pane: il pane a forma di “vastuni” (bastone), i “rusiddi” il pane a forma di rosa”, a forma di”sfera”, i “cucciddati“, a “varva” (la barba di San Giuseppe), fish, cockerels, pears, baskets, and invariably bread in the form of initials of the Saint, the S and the G. In these dinners, during the ritual of the tables, are served dishes that contain the dishes of traditional foods, which have a symbolic and propitiatory meaning, Do not miss the fried fish that the classic potato balls, the orange fennel and oranges. In the dinners of San Giuseppe degli Iblei, in ancient times there was no lack, expertly arranged also the various types of local biscuits : the Savoy biscuits, the scaffolding, the honey biscuits, the biscuits with the must, the milk. Today there are also other types of more modern cookies. Butter cookies, and the various specialties of the country or the family that prepares dinner. In addition to biscuits, on the table you can also find our typical desserts: the Mpagnuccata, also called the nougat of the poor, the lemon frost and the orange frost, Do not miss, the arancini , the pastizzi ( scacce stuffed with vegetables) and so on.
At the center of the table, usually there is always a plate full of first fruits and on the whole altar and around are arranged many colorful flowers. Bread of Saint Joseph Particularly laborious is the manufacture of the “loaves of the Saints”, or “Bread of Saint Joseph” usually entrusted to the wise hands of the most experienced women who know how to create real masterpieces in miniature from the most varied forms. All the bread, before the “‘nfurnata”, is made shiny by a brushstroke of egg white beaten with lemon juice and, when the golden color covers the pans, the cooking is completed. Painstaking and patient fruit of a long work produced by wise hands who have the will not to lose and to pass on this beautiful tradition. All this is consumed during the lunch of March 19 by the so-called “saints” impersonated by friends or relatives of families ranging from a minimum of three (Saint Joseph, Baby Jesus and Our Lady) to a maximum of thirteen, always of odd number. What is the “Table of Saint Joseph” According to a legend, in the Middle Ages in Sicily there was a serious drought that caused an unstoppable famine: many died of hunger, and the Sicilians turned to Saint Joseph, begging him to free the island from this scourge. Thus was set up the “Table of Saint Joseph”: an altar decorated with delicious and special foods, flowers and other objects to thank him for his great miracles. Since then, every year, this tradition is renewed and in different countries the Saint is honoured in a different way.
The most important events are in Santa Croce Camerina, which dates back to 1832, where they prepare tables called ”Dinners’, prepared by the faithful with devotion. In Bagheria the anniversary is more felt because Saint Joseph is the patron saint of the country, which is located a few kilometers from Palermo, known for the beauty of its baroque villas. The patron is celebrated twice a year: in March and August. In Palermo the festival is linked to the famous ‘Vampa di San Giuseppe'”: A few days before a large bonfire is prepared with pieces of wood, old furniture that lights up on the day of Saint Joseph and the people shout ‘Viva San Giuseppe’. The festival is also accompanied by typical dishes, such as Minestrone di San Giuseppe, an excellent first course linked to the tradition of solidarity and sharing. In fact, on March 19, privileged Sicilian families gather to prepare cauldrons of soup to serve to the needy. It is prepared with vegetables and pasta. U Maccu, a cream of broad beans served with pasta or alone. La ‘Pasta con le sarde”. The “Bread of Saint Joseph”, a loaf of semolina flour, enriched with fennel seeds and marked with a cross cut, which is blessed in the church and distributed to parishioners. Last, but not least, are the Sfince di San Giuseppe, or pancakes stuffed with ricotta. In the province of Trapani, in Poggioreale San Giuseppe is celebrated with the procession of the simulacrum (Saint) and the visit of the altars.
The most important events are in Santa Croce Camerina, which dates back to 1832, where they prepare tables called ”Dinners’, prepared by the faithful with devotion. In Bagheria the anniversary is more felt because Saint Joseph is the patron saint of the country, which is located a few kilometers from Palermo, known for the beauty of its baroque villas. The patron is celebrated twice a year: in March and August. In Palermo the festival is linked to the famous ‘Vampa di San Giuseppe'”: A few days before a large bonfire is prepared with pieces of wood, old furniture that lights up on the day of Saint Joseph and the people shout ‘Viva San Giuseppe’. The festival is also accompanied by typical dishes, such as Minestrone di San Giuseppe, an excellent first course linked to the tradition of solidarity and sharing. In fact, on March 19, privileged Sicilian families gather to prepare cauldrons of soup to serve to the needy. It is prepared with vegetables and pasta. U Maccu, a cream of broad beans served with pasta or alone. La ‘Pasta con le sarde”. The “Bread of Saint Joseph”, a loaf of semolina flour, enriched with fennel seeds and marked with a cross cut, which is blessed in the church and distributed to parishioners. Last, but not least, are the Sfince di San Giuseppe, or pancakes stuffed with ricotta. In the province of Trapani, in Poggioreale San Giuseppe is celebrated with the procession of the simulacrum (Saint) and the visit of the altars.
RECIPES FOR THE FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH
There are many traditional dishes linked to this anniversary. These are mostly simple dishes, made with poor ingredients. The traditions linked to the celebrations of the Saint are countless, particularly felt and often characterized by special foods linked to ancient traditions. The foods served are essentially simple and seasonal, there are asparagus, fennel, artichokes and cauliflower accompanied by eggs, legumes and dried fruit. Here are some of the countless dishes prepared during the festival: -the pasta topped with stale bread crumbs, chopped parsley and sugar. -rice with wild fennel and breadcrumbs. -St. Joseph’s soup, a soup of pasta, legumes and vegetables which, according to tradition, was prepared in large pots and then distributed on large tables; -St Joseph’s bread, typical of the Province of Palermo, a round loaf, engraved on the surface, with fennel seeds inside, which is still blessed in church; -the pasta with sardines and wild fennel. A real delicacy that draws its origins from the Arab domination; -the Sfincia di S. Giuseppe, a rather swollen pancake, covered with ricotta cream with chocolate chips and candied fruit; -the zeppole of rice with honey; -the “crispelle di S. Giuseppe”; -sausage sauce with potatoes, chops baked with potatoes and grilled, meatloaf and falsomagri sauce cooked in the oven; -the pignolata, cannoli, fruit martorana and cassatine; -the rich appetizers based on salami and cheese, accompanied by seasoned olives and good wine.
Religious traditions of the feast of St. Joseph
The city of Caccamo dedicates two events to the feast of Saint Joseph, both organized by the Church of SS Annunziata. Two Sundays before 19 goes on stage A’ Retina, that is a parade of bardati mules accompanied by the band, which goes around the country collecting offerings in nature, the so-called prumisioni (offerings) that devotees make to the Saint. The two Sundays before the feast, always at the church of the Annunciation, is lit A’ Scalunata di San Giuseppe, a long staircase of lighted candles behind the altar, on top of which is the statue of St. Joseph with the Child. In many countries the Altars of Saint Joseph are set up and the Tables of St. Joseph, in which whole families, by virtue of a promise made to the saint, contribute to the preparation of typical foods and dishes to offer to the poor. This tradition is very felt in Salemi (where in recent years the festival has taken on more folkloristic, attracting the attention of many tourists), Niscemi, Leonfronte, Salaparuta, Balestrate, Borgetto, etc…
In Godrano there are also traditional performances: protagonists that simulate a Holy Family. In Prizzi there is the “Banquet of Saint Joseph”. In Dattilo and in Paceco there is the traditional “‘Nmitu di San Giuseppe”: here the votive bread is distributed and the parade of the Chariot of the loaves. Also in Canicattì – in the province of Agrigento – the tradition of preparing a rich lunch so as to offer it to the Holy Family. Celebrations in Ribera begin on the previous Sunday, with the entrance of laurel, or a parade of men on horseback holding laurel branches, followed 10 meters high tower, covered with various forms of blessed bread and topped from the picture of Saint Joseph, pulled by a cart. Widespread, especially in many neighborhoods of the historic center of Palermo, are the spectacular Flames of St. Joseph, huge bonfires, lit on the evening of March 18, which practically illuminate the entire district. A very ancient tradition and very heartfelt, which despite its dangerousness is repeated every year. In Scicli, in the province of Ragusa, the night of March 16, since the Middle Ages the Ride of St. Joseph: you go riding through the city and meanwhile the fires are lit blessed. *Among the devout images of the Sicilian people, that of Saint Joseph nurtured devotion to this patriarchal figure, and this Saint is considered “father of providence”. It is customary that devotees honor the Saint by doing works of charity to poor families so that they never lack bread. In the day of Saint Joseph it is tradition to invite to the table three poor children, which recall the flight of Jesus, Joseph and Mary from Egypt, to whom the lunch, between songs and dialect rhymes.
The flames of San
Giuseppe in Palermo
Great excitement among children and young people who walked from house to house in the narrow streets of the historic center and the bustling popular neighborhoods of Palermo. Ferment in the days before March 18; tradition wants in fact that in the afternoon of that day, with the rite of “flashes”, we announce the feast of St. Joseph. The old facades of the houses are illuminated by huge bonfires stacks take on such dimensions and flames become so high that it is necessary the intervention of the fire brigade; so much so that every year the city authorities try in vain to forbid the custom.
Arranged in a circle around the fire the boys turn around the flames and, to flames almost exhausted, they jump on the embers, singing and shouting a thundering “Viva San Joseph”. Others, with a continuous going, will try to feed the fire again to keep him alive. Beyond the very valid anthropological interpretations, the night of the flashes is a moment of great aggregation, which sees adults engaged in keeping away from the fire the little ones, while the large crowd gathers to watch fascinated their own burning stuff. This rite, in Palermo, is attributed to a very remote origin connected to the cult of. In fact, the rite coincides with an astronomical date: the vernal equinox. With the fire you want to chase away the cold and the lean season, greeting the arrival of the spring and the upcoming season of abundance. Heated and tired, no one gives up tasting the traditional Palermo dessert, the “sfinci” of San Giuseppe, sweet babà stuffed with ricotta cream and drops of pistachio.
Ribera (Agrigento)
The custom is to collect laurel branches to cover the Stragula, a tower of wood about ten meters high, placed over a large cart and decorated by forms of large loaves called Cudduri, tied together by means of cords. The Stragula, pulled by two oxen, represents, according to popular tradition, the abundance and glory of the holy patriarch by some elements laden with value symbolic, such as bread and laurel branches
Campobello di Mazara (Trapani)
The rite of the Altar is divided into four phases: the collection, the preparation of the altar, the banquet, the dinner. For the collection the hostess must ask the inhabitants of the rione – repeating “ci dati nenti a Sangiusippuzzu” – offers for the banquet and at dinner. The altar is set up in a room of the house overlooking the street. The entrance is surmounted by branches of palms also placed at the corners of the road to signal the the presence of the Altar. The walls of the room are adorned with sumptuous blankets, the ceiling is covered with bridal veils and gold objects. The Altar is covered with embroidered linen tablecloths. On the feast day the Holy Family preceded by the sound of a drum played by the “tammurinaru” is accompanied in Church for the Mass. At the end the saints walk the streets of the village to return home. Here Giuseppe knocks at the door twice asking for hospitality that is refused. Only the third time the door opens, after the “tammurinaru” announces that it is the Holy Family who is welcomed by shouting: “Long live Jesus, Joseph and Mary”.
Gibellina (Trapani)
On the morning of the 19th the congregation went to the house of Saint Joseph also Jesus. The procession continues to the house of Our Lady and moves to attend Mass. Lunch follows. In the afternoon, the three characters go to church to participate to the procession. The square in front of the Church of the center is crowded, the congregations of Saint Joseph distribute candles and arrange the procession. Who has made a vow of an offer signals to the procession to stop and deliver the sum to the congregation that attaches it to the dress of the saint.
Vita (Trapani)
Guests of honor and protagonists of l’artaru are the “virgineddi” or “saints” who represent the Holy Family. Sometimes they are five with the addition of S. Anna and S. Gioacchino. The “saints” are chosen among the most needy people in the country. For them the dinner consisting of many typical local dishes such as pasta with fennel, tomato sauce and toasted breadcrumbs, and, among the desserts, “cassateddì them’, “cannoli” and the “pignulata”.
Monreale (Palermo)
The feast of Saint Joseph is very heartfelt given the presence, in the village, congregation of carpenters. Among the most significant traditions stands out that of the “Sacred Mantle” and the “Altarino of Saint Joseph”. The first provides that “In order to remember the 30 years of life that Saint Joseph spent with Jesus it is good to recite the prayers of the Holy Mantle for 30 consecutive days”. The “Altar of Saint Joseph”, instead, is the altar built in the house of who asked or obtained grace from the saint. The main ornament is “narrow and dry” bread, decorated as an embroidery. Detached from the altar is the table adorned with loaves, oranges, fennel, pignolata, water, wine and candles lit. Lunch begins with orange segments, then the first: pasta with sauce “‘camuddica”; breadcrumbs, toasted and mixed with spicy cheese, pepper and sugar. Numerous songs echo in the house while the “saints” eat. The oldest is formed by 23 stanzas in Sicilian.
Gangi (Palermo)
The festivities begin weeks before with religious celebrations, “sittini”, and popular. The feast is preceded by the procession of the Child Jesus, “U Bomminiddu”. It is celebrated in two Churches: San Giuseppe dei “Ricchi” and San Giuseppe dei “Poor”, where it is distributed to the faithful “u pani di San Giuseppi” (blessed loaves). Already at the beginning of the month some families use “lighthouses in San Giuseppi”, that is to organize a lunch (a time dedicated to the poor ) based on pasta and lentils, fried cod, boiled fennel, orange, water and wine.
Salemi (Trapani)
It’s tradition in March to make a vow to the saint or thank him for the grace received. The preparations last 8 days and during this period the altar is set up in the house and invite a certain number of children, based on the grade made, usually in number of three what must represent the Holy Family: Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus. A few days before each Wednesday of the month or March 19, the devotee who has made promise of voting turns around the country to ask for offers , which usually consist of flour, oil, eggs, or even money. This penitential act is the Questua, a ritual common not only to the feast of saint Joseph but also to other patron saints who are celebrated in Sicily. The altar is decorated with many myrtle and laurel branches, while preparing of bread commits for several days and not only the women of the house but also those of the neighbourhood. The dough of the flour follows a very precise ritual: The loaves must be of weight and different sizes and shapes represent flowers, fruits and animals while their place on the altar traditionally belongs to the head of the family. The sign of abundance in the altar is represented by vegetables, especially from fennel, and from the fruit placed in large baskets. In the centre are placed the Cucciddati, large forms of votive loaves. The shape of bread dedicated to the saint reproduces the stick, u vastuni decorated with a lily symbol of purity; The bread dedicated to Mary is decorated with a rose representing virginity and garnished with dates (which according to tradition the Virgin ate during escape to Egypt. ), and by a palm branch symbol of peace; this bread is meant to the girl who impersonates Our Lady, while the bread dedicated to Jesus comes decorated with jasmine, birds and symbols of his passion. The loaves, once blessed by the pastor, will be given to relatives and friends. These votive loaves assume a profound meaning sacred , to which the feast of Saint Joseph alludes explicitly because it is linked the archaic agrarian symbolism of the renewal of nature, which takes place precisely in month of March.
Pietraperzia (Enna)
It’s customary to celebrate the saint with a large public banquet. The dishes are offered by the inhabitants of the village, while to represent the Sacred. Family are chosen three poor people who are invited to sit at the table for publicly eat the votive lunch.
Since 1922 there has been a show that recalls the flight of the Sacred to Egypt Family. Some characters in period costume who play the officers of Herod, They will ride to the church of the Carmine, where they will be waiting. The carpenters of the village, organizers of the festivities, go first to the home of the boy who was chosen to impersonate the angel and then by the boys who impersonate Mary and Jesus and then all together go in procession to the church of Santa Maria where the boy who plays Saint Joseph awaits them. Around noon the mass begins with the participation of the faithful, and after the service religious, starts the procession preceded by the angel and the child who Jesus held by the hand of Saint Joseph and Mary, the latter sitting on the donkey. Arrived in front of the Mother Church, the procession is approached by three soldiers of Herod who announce to Saint Joseph that they had the order to kill Jesus. The show ends when the soldiers refuse to fulfill their mission and back. At this point the three characters representing the Holy Family go on stage to publicly consume the dishes that have been prepared for them.
Scicli (Ragusa)
The Ride of Saint Joseph
What is the Cavalcade of Saint Joseph. The Cavalcade is a religious event to all effects because it recalls the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. It consists in parade of mounts artistically harnessed by hand with flowers, real works of art. Not is an equestrian event, even if the horses are magnificent beautifully kept.
Side events. An important and attractive preview of the Feast falls on Saturday previous, in the seaside village of Donnalucata. Often a parade of Sicilian carts richly painted by local artisans and a market of products typical. During the week you can watch the harness of the horses and know the secrets of the art of harnessing at the Bardatura Museum (Scicli, via Spadaro).
The Feast. Grafted on a residue of those sacred dramas that were staged in the Middle Evo to propitiate a good harvest, was gradually “assimilated” by the Christianity to make it a religious feast in honor of the Holy Patriarch. Rich of suggestions is the long and laborious preparation of the extraordinary harnesses of horses; in the “dammusi” (rooms on the ground floor of the houses), a large number of people, on a warp of branches of palms, ( today largely replaced by canvas of juta), woven thousands of purple locks (u bàlucu), composing magnificent “squares” depicting the Holy Family and various sacred symbols.
The horses so harnessed, mounted by knights dressed in the characteristic costumes of the peasant tradition, move from a single collection point, near the main square of the city, heading towards the churchyard of the church dedicated to the Saint; here, an external commission examined the originality and scenic effect of the harnesses and “groups of knights” and immediately after, in a riot of sounds and the cry of “PATRIA’ – PATRIA’ PATRIARCA! , the colorful procession, with the Holy Family at the head, winds through the streets of the city where, in various points and areas are lit the “pagghiara”, around which the people of the neighborhood gather waiting for the passage of the “Holy Family”. To increase the suggestion of the characteristic parade are added the “ciaccari”: bundles of Ampelodesma that the knights and people of the people hold in their hands, lit, to “make light” to the Holy Family. Besides the religious fact, adds color to the folklore competition between groups of “bardatori”, the participants who, in the “race” put the maximum commitment in the to create high quality artistic and artisanal products. Riders wear black velvet trousers and vest, embroidered white shirt, band multicolored woven at the sides, red handkerchief at the neck and more burritta, boots and pipe cane; each horse is “escorted” by other characters, that during the evening you alternate along the procession.
Over the years this event has had to adapt to the changing conditions of city. The methanisation network underlying the road pavement does not allow plus the huge bonfires, with piles of ash and household goods, which lit up at the passage of the Holy Family and where succulent dishes were roasted meat; however the tradition continues and around small fires lit in the neighborhoods of tradition we gather to feast on sausages and chops that come offerings to passers-by. They remain intact, the elements of the ancient rite and with them the charm and charm of the “feast”: fire, as a sacred element, with a clear cathartic meaning; the purple, spring flower, to celebrate the end of winter rigors and the awakening of life, the charm of an event with strong connotations aggregating, in which the whole community town, still today, is recognized . The weekend before the feast of San Giuseppe, the seaside village of Donnalucata of the town of Scicli recalls the Gospel episode of “Flight into Egypt” with a rich manifestation of the colors and scents of the beautiful land of Sicily: the Ride of Saint Joseph. The streets of the village will enliven with characters dressed in traditional clothes and horses richly harnessed with precious harnesses and mantles of flowers. Tradition wants that the flight of the Holy Family took place at night and, to illuminate the darkness, they light bonfires along the way, the so-called “pagghiara” of Saint Joseph. The passage of the procession, guided and illuminated by the warm light of the fires, ends with the awarding the most beautiful harness while, the large piles of coals become large barbecues that gather all participants in a party that knows about belonging, tradition, community, family.
Enna
March 18 is the traditional day of the “Virgin of Saint Joseph”. They are invited by a wealthy family 19 girls, or young single, who belong to poor but principled families. The girls spend the day among religious songs, prayers, masses in the Church of Saint Joseph and shared lunch.
Rosolini (Siracusa)
Devotion to Saint Joseph is manifested by the traditional ride, at which assists and participates the whole country. The roads are blocked to allow the riders to pass, who mount horses lavishly harnessed, while in the afternoon , after the religious service, the simulacrum of the saint is carried in procession through the streets of the country in a rain of leaflets on which it is written “Viva San Giuseppe” .
Alimena (Palermo)
On the morning of March 19, there is the banquet promised to the patron saint. Once upon a time thirteen orphaned children were invited to sit at the table poor, the Virgineddi.
Favara (Agrigento)
Devotion to the Saint is a concrete testimony of faith and fervour
religious. In this country every Wednesday the faithful go on pilgrimage to the Rosario, where there is the statue of the saint holding the Child Jesus by the hand. Once the festival took place on 19 March, but today it was moved to the first Sunday of September. Celebrations in honor of the saint begin on Friday with the entrance into the village of three bands, one local and two other coming from other centers. Devotees, before carrying around a small statue depicting the saint, use to recite for a consecutive week the novena. The precession is accompanied by the faithful who hold in their hands torches, characteristics Fanare , prepared with a grass plant called disa. In the town square is set up a stage on which lunch will be offered to the Holy Family. Sunday Morning , near the entrance of the church, the organizers of the festival gather them prumisi, that is, the promises of the faithful . The mules and horses, for the occasion, are harnessed with rich harness and grain offerings are loaded ; then they are led by the peasants, the which hold a large fir branch. This stick bears large cuts, real and proper notches in which put in the money offerings, promises to dissolve a vow or as devotional gifts. The festival ends with the procession of the statue, which begins on Sunday of Avemaria in a roar of mortar fire accompanied by impressive fireworks.
To celebrate Saint Joseph it is tradition to make the Duminaria, which consists or Vampi of Saint Joseph, one next to the other in honor of Jesus, Joseph and Mary. This happens on the eve of March 19, according to a popular tradition for which in saint represents all the poor who suffer from cold and hunger. The traditional lunch is prepared on the morning of 19 and the Holy Family is played ,according to custom , by three people chosen among the poorest in the country. Lunch is attended by all the inhabitants of the island while those who cannot. They are served at home. In the afternoon the saint’s devotees divide into two groups, of which one heads in church and the other stops outside. Once the portal is closed the group of faithful left outside the church begins to knock while from the inside they ask: “Who are you looking for?”. After three times the door comes opened and the statue of Saint Joseph appears on the threshold. This begins a pantomime in which the group of the faithful who is inside the church tries to hold the statue of the saint, while the other group tries to take it out. I Celebrations will end with the procession.
Hunting (Palermo, Italy)
On 19 March Saint Joseph is celebrated with a rètina, a parade of mules bardati to party who, accompanied by the band, go around the country to collect offerings. After the solemn liturgical service in the church of the Santissima Annunziata, the simulacrum of the saint is carried in procession along the staircase lit by candles.
Santa Croce Camerina (Ragusa)
The cult of Saint Joseph dates back to when it was found on a nearby beach, called Punta Braccetto, a statue of the saint. Following a series of miracles the statue was placed in a church. The local tradition celebrates the saint with a dinner so described: “There is no family St. Cross who for devotion does not set up a table to receive, in honor of Saint Joseph , of Our Lady and of Jesus, three poor , who chooses among the most needy of the country”.
March 19 , the three saints invited to dinner and accompanied by those who prepared the lunch to receive the blessing. Then they go to the house where the table has been prepared for the consumption of dinner; tradition wants the three saints to knock three times before entering.
In popular tradition, those who have obtained a grace or hope in the intercession of the Santo, use to prepare the “Sacred Lunch” that is offered to the Holy Family, personified, according to custom, by three people chosen among the needy families of the country. Saint Joseph, in fact, besides being the protector of orphans and unmarried girls, especially protects the poor. The “Holy Lunch”, or banquet, is called dialectally “avutaru” or “patriarch”. In ancient times the preparation of the altar took place outside the houses, in the courtyards or in the town square; today, however, it is set up inside the house. The wooden structure, is composed as a base from a large table, where they will have lunch the guests, “the Saints”, and above, raised to steps, tables. The altar is covered with white embroidered sheets and a large painting depicting the Holy Family (“a Madonna, u Bamminu and u Patriarch”). Food then becomes the main element in the celebrations dedicated to the Saint; his preparation also takes several weeks before the holiday, especially for the traditional sweets: “turruni, giurgiulena, pastifuorti, cicirata, pagnuccata, mastazzola, mustate and various jams”. The most important and symbolic food is “bread”, which follows a very precise ritual, until to his laying on the altar, which traditionally belongs to the head of the family. The votive bread forms reproduce:
– the stick, “u vastuni do Patriarca”, decorated with a lily symbol of purity;
– Mary’s bread, “a Madonna”, with a rose representing virginity and a branch
palm symbol of peace;
– the bread of Jesus, “u Bamminieddu”, with jasmine, birds and symbols of his
Passion;
– cucciddates, large round loaves which are arranged in the centre at the top.
These loaves take on a deep sacred meaning, to which the feast of Saint Joseph alludes explicitly because it is linked to the archaic agrarian symbolism of renewal of nature, which takes place in March. In addition to cakes and bread, the various steps are arranged in equal parts: bags of flour, packages of pasta, fresh fruit, vegetables, dried fruit and every good thing. On the morning of the 19th they prepare all the dishes that will be consumed again hot, such as all kinds of omelettes, “piscirova” and meatballs; the first courses, “i baddotti” (rice balls in broth) and “i cassateddi” (ricotta bread). At noon on the dot, “the Saints” must sit down for lunch; the various and it is very important that at least a taste of everything is done. At everything that had been placed on the altar and all the food left, is donated in equal parts to the three diners. In the early afternoon, some organizers of the festival, wander through the streets of Acate and collect gifts offered by the faithful. All the harvest is then auctioned in Piazza Libertà , where for the occasion comes set up a stage from which the auctioneer makes the sale. The proceeds are donated to the parish to contribute to the expenses of the festival. In the evening the Church celebrates Holy Mass in honor of the Saint; the faithful will then follow the simulacrum through the streets of Acate and return, the classic fireworks “i mascuna o mascattaria”, conclude the celebrations.
On 19 March the families who received the grace set tables with several dishes (cardoons and broccoli in batter, “beards” asparagus and mountain fennel) and sweets (pignolata, sphinxes). The main guests are three and represent the Holy Family, to whom the master of home serves the food of the table
Mazzarrone (Catania)
In addition to dinner and the traditional fair of San Giuseppe, also scheduled old customs, handed down from father to son, such as the Supper of Saint Joseph, which comes prepared by one of the families of the country as a vow by grace received. To feast are three people chosen among the poor of the center and representing the Holy Family. After attending Mass, the three characters have lunch with the specialties prepared for the occasion. What remains is given to the three, who offer it to the respective families. The festival closes in the evening, after Mass, on the churchyard of the church of San Giuseppe where a fair is held during which the gifts offered by the faithful, mostly agricultural products, homemade breads and cheeses.
Mirabella Imbaccari (Catania)
Altars, lunches and performances houses of the citizens are set up altars set up with food of the genre, from traditional breads with cheese, flans. Next to the altars are a girl, a man and a child who represent the Holy Family. Before starting the great lunch we recite a prayer in dialect. So we eat traditional foods, in particular bread: ‘u pagnuccu’, of large dimensions depicts Saint Joseph; the ‘cuddura’, round, reproduces the Madonna and, the Gaddu, in the shape of a rooster.
Campofelice di Fitalia (Palermo)
Saint Joseph is the patron saint of several towns in the province of Palermo, including also Campofelice di Fitalia. The Patriarch, advocate of impossible causes, protector of the poor, of those who suffer the hunger and cold is celebrated on March 19 and August 23. In the past wealthy people used to set up soup kitchens in their homes full of food, the “Tavulate”, which were consumed by the poor of the place, invited for the occasion. Still in the village the tradition of the banquet for the feast of Saint Joseph is very felt. Although the houses where devotees go to recite for a day the role of the Holy Family: Saint Joseph, Mary and Jesus. Continue the ancient devotion of the preparation of “pasta di San Giuseppe”: bucatini seasoned with lentils. Votive food that assumes in this feast a sacred meaning to which the recurrence alludes to being linked to the symbolism of the renewal of nature. Moreover, the preparation of the lentil meal, as on all holidays of agricultural origin, also has a propitiatory value to ensure good harvests and prosperity. In August, the culminating moments of the patron feast consist instead of two processions: that morning of ex-voto, led barefoot or on horseback party, and that evening, when the devotees follow in prayer the “vara” of the Holy in the streets of the village.
The date. In the Gregorian Calendar the feast of Saint Joseph as everyone knows falls the March 19. The Cavalcade of Saint Joseph is celebrated in Scicli on Saturday more near this date and therefore, in 2015, the day March 21. This is the registered holiday the Register of Intangible Inheritance of the Sicilian Region (R.E.I.)1.
The Ride of Saint Joseph
What is the Cavalcade of Saint Joseph. The Cavalcade is a religious event to all effects because it recalls the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. It consists in parade of mounts artistically harnessed by hand with flowers, real works of art. Not is an equestrian event, even if the horses are magnificent beautifully kept.
Side events. An important and attractive preview of the Feast falls on Saturday previous, in the seaside village of Donnalucata. Often a parade of Sicilian carts richly painted by local artisans and a market of products typical. During the week you can watch the harness of the horses and know the secrets of the art of harnessing at the Bardatura Museum (Scicli, via Spadaro).
The Feast. Grafted on a residue of those sacred dramas that were staged in the Middle Evo to propitiate a good harvest, was gradually “assimilated” by the Christianity to make it a religious feast in honor of the Holy Patriarch. Rich of suggestions is the long and laborious preparation of the extraordinary harnesses of horses; in the “dammusi” (rooms on the ground floor of the houses), a large number of people, on a warp of branches of palms, ( today largely replaced by canvas of juta), woven thousands of purple locks (u bàlucu), composing magnificent “squares” depicting the Holy Family and various sacred symbols. The horses so harnessed, mounted by knights dressed in the characteristic costumes of the peasant tradition, move from a single collection point, near the main square of the city, heading towards the churchyard of the church dedicated to the Saint; here, an external commission examined the originality and scenic effect of the harnesses and “groups of knights” and immediately after, in a riot of sounds and the cry of “PATRIA’ – PATRIA’ -PATRIARCA! , the colorful procession, with the Holy Family at the head, winds through the streets of the city where, in various points and areas are lit the “pagghiara”, around which the people of the neighborhood gather waiting for the passage of the “Holy Family”. To increase the suggestion of the characteristic parade are added the “ciaccari”: bundles of Ampelodesma that the knights and people of the people hold in their hands, lit, to “make light” to the Holy Family. Besides the religious fact, adds color to the folklore competition between groups of “bardatori”, the participants who, in the “race” put the maximum commitment in the to create high quality artistic and artisanal products. Riders wear black velvet trousers and vest, embroidered white shirt, band multicolored woven at the sides, red handkerchief at the neck and more burritta, boots and pipe cane; each horse is “escorted” by other characters, that during the evening you alternate along the procession. Over the years this event has had to adapt to the changing conditions of city. The methanisation network underlying the road pavement does not allow plus the huge bonfires, with piles of ash and household goods, which lit up at the passage of the Holy Family and where succulent dishes were roasted meat; however the tradition continues and around small fires lit in the neighborhoods of tradition we gather to feast on sausages and chops that come offerings to passers-by.
They remain intact, the elements of the ancient rite and with them the charm and charm of the “feast”: fire, as a sacred element, with a clear cathartic meaning; the purple, spring flower, to celebrate the end of winter rigors and the awakening of life, the charm of an event with strong connotations aggregating, in which the whole community town, still today, is recognized. The weekend before the feast of San Giuseppe, the seaside village of Donnalucata of the town of Scicli recalls the Gospel episode of “Flight into Egypt” with a rich manifestation of the colors and scents of the beautiful land of Sicily: the Ride of Saint Joseph. The streets of the village will enliven with characters dressed in traditional clothes and horses richly harnessed with precious harnesses and mantles of flowers. Tradition wants that the flight of the Holy Family took place at night and, to illuminate the darkness, they light bonfires along the way, the so-called “pagghiara” of Saint Joseph. The passage of the procession, guided and illuminated by the warm light of the fires, ends with the awarding the most beautiful harness while, the large piles of coals become large barbecues that gather all participants in a party that knows about belonging, tradition, community, family.
