Move aside St. Patrick’s Day, because St. Joseph’s Day is right around the corner! Are you familiar with the history of St. Joseph’s Day? This holiday, also known as The Feast of St. Joseph or La Festa di San Giuseppe, is celebrated annually on March 19. Here at our agency, we love celebrating St. Joseph’s Day. Today, we wanted to talk about the history of St. Joseph’s Day, some common St. Joseph Day traditions, as well as how you can celebrate St. Joseph’s Day this year.
History of St. Joseph’s Day
Traditionally, St. Joseph’s Day comes two days after St. Patrick’s Day, and its strongest roots and traditions all stem back to Italy. St Joseph’s Day was started to commemorate the feast day of St. Joseph, who was the husband to the Virgin Mary. While St. Joseph is celebrated in the Catholic Church, this holiday is also commemorated by the Anglican Community and the Lutheran Church as well. Italian-Americans still hold St. Joseph’s Day close with special importance, especially those who have family from Sicily. St Joseph’s Day has been celebrated since the 10th century and was originally accepted in Rome in 1479. In 1621, St. Joseph’s Day was officially added to the General Roman Calendar and has been commemorated ever since.
St. Joseph’s Day Traditions
There are many traditions that tie into celebrating St. Joseph’s Day. The first is that the color red is traditionally worn on this holiday to honor St. Joseph, and is said to be good luck as well during St. Joseph’s Day. Additionally, St. Joseph was credited with helping prevent famine in Sicily. As a result, this day is usually traditionally celebrated with a festival and a special feast as well. In fact, parades and other forms of entertainment or processions are still held in Italy to this day.
Celebrate St. Joseph’s Day
Now that you’ve learned a little bit about the history of St. Joseph’s Day, are you looking to join in on the celebrations? Mark your calendar, grab your best red attire, and head down to your favorite Italian restaurant! Of course, that is the modernized approach to celebrating St. Joseph’s Day in today’s world. Be sure you don’t miss out on some special Italian pastries too, such as sfinge and zeppole. Are you looking for some awesome St. Joseph Recipes to celebrate at home with your family? Check out some of our best ideas below!
