St Joseph Altars - New Orleans - Gretna - March 19, 2010

ST JOSEPH ALTAR HISTORY

The St. Joseph Altar is Sicilian in origin. During a terrible famine, the people of Sicily pleaded to St. Joseph, their patron saint, for relief. St. Joseph answered their prayers, and the famine ended. In gratitude, they prepared a table with the best foods they had harvested. After paying homage to St. Joseph, they distributed the food to the poor.
The Altar is set up in three tiers, representing the Holy Trinity. A statue of St. Joseph is placed on the top tier, usually surrounded by flowers, greenery & fruit.
No meat is prepared for the Altar. This is because St. Joseph's Feast falls in the Lenten Season and also because meat was a rarity to the Sicilian peasants. Fancy breads, cakes and cookies, baked in symbolic Christian shapes, are prepared for the Altar. Pastries in the shapes of monstrance's, chalices, crosses, doves, lambs, fish, bibles, hearts, wreaths and palms adorn the tiers of the Altar. Symbols of St. Joseph - such as lilies, staffs, sandals, ladders, saws, hammers and nails - are also used. There is symbolism in many of the items on the Altar. Breadcrumbs represent the sawdust of St. Joseph the Carpenter. Twelve whole fish represent the apostles. Wine is symbolic of the Miracle at Cana.
The Altar is a medium for petitions and thanksgivings. Petitions of the faithful are written in a book of petitions, or on pieces of paper and the book or pieces of paper are placed in a basket or bowl and placed on the Altar. Photos of deceased relatives & friends may decorate the Altar as well.

The Goodie Bag:
Visitors to St. Joseph Altars are given small bags containing a few blessed items from the Altar. The bags usually contain a holy card and a small medal. Various blessed cookies or small breads and a fava bean.
The most interesting item found in the goodie bag is the fava bean. In Sicily, the fava was fodder for cattle. During a great famine the people resorted to eating them to survive. They were considered lucky to have favas to eat, hence the fava bean is also known as a "lucky bean." Some believe that the pantry that contains a fava bean will never be bare, and if one is carried in the purse or pocket, you will never be without money. The fava, or lucky bean, serves as a token of the Altar - a reminder of God's provisions through the intercession of St. Joseph

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[FriendOfStJoseph]

I posted this video to venerate St Joseph on his feast day, March 19. God bless each of you who took your time to do the same. The response was fantastic, Thank you. St Joseph pray for us.

[HungKiet]

St. Joseph pray for us

[2groomers]

Nice...viva Italia!

[LMOHPARK]

Gets bigger and better each year in New Orleans!

[evannduplantier]

Thanks, John! I've posted your video on the Virtual St. Joseph Altar Blog.