St. Joseph's Day Altars

St. Joseph

St. Joseph's Day Altar

St. Joseph's Day Altar

On the days leading up to St. Joseph’s Day on March 19, many Catholics of New Orleans begin the construction of elaborate altars to this revered saint. The tradition traces its roots back to a wave of Sicilian immigration to New Orleans toward the end of the 1800s. While many US cities have large Italian-American populations, few have as direct a line to Sicily as New Orleans does. One could say St. Joseph’s Day traditions are unique to the Crescent City’s culture.

The origin of the altars is to honor St. Joseph for relieving famine in Sicily in the Middle Ages. It has also become a way to share food with others and for believers to express gratitude for any sort of fortune in their lives. Of course, the altars can be found at local New Orleans churches, especially those with strong Italian roots, but they are also constructed in private homes, halls, Italian restaurants, and public spaces.

Representing the Holy Trinity, each altar is divided into three sections with a statue of St. Joseph at the head. The devout place candles, figurines, flowers, medals, and other items all around to create a beautifully lush, overflowing effect. Since the altars thank St. Joseph for relieving hunger, offerings of food are essential. Cookies, cakes, and breads, often in the form of shellfish, are common. Fava beans are particularly associated with St. Joseph because they sustained the Sicilians throughout famine. The altar is broken up on St. Joseph’s Day with a ceremony of costumed children, pretending to look for shelter, finding sustenance at the altar. Food and donations are then distributed to the poor.

In New Orleans, St. Joseph’s Day is not just for Italian-Americans. The altars can be found all over the city in different communities. Although the reasons are unclear, St. Joseph’s Day has been adopted as an important day for the Mardi Gras Indians, an African-American tradition.