ST. JOSEPH’S DAY!

Good Morning Foodies! Today, ST. JOSEPH’S DAY, is a very important and monumental FEAST DAY for CATHOLICS, especially ITALIAN CATHOLICS! I have so many wonderful memories from my childhood, through my teens, into college years and then into my adult married life. It was a miracle just watching those LITTLE ITALIAN RELATIVES of mine gather in each other homes and prepare food to feed an army. If you were amazed that JESUS could serve 5000 with a few loaves of bread and some fish, you ain’t seen nothing until you see this food put on the ALTAR! You need to put this on your bucket list—THIS IS WHERE FOOD MEETS FAITH !

I do know that there are still ALTARS being done in the New Orleans, Baton Rouge and even here in Opelousas. I hope it is a tradition that never stops. I believe today the food is donated to some shelters or organizations but back in the day, the community came together and ate all that food.

For those of you who are not familiar with this big production, here is a very short version of the event. I posted this last year but worth repeating. Usually a family or families gather to pay homage to St. Joseph for some special favor that was granted through prayer. Children are selected to represent the HOLY FAMILY and some special SAINTS. After the altar is blessed, the selected HOLY FAMILY, has to taste each item that comes off the altar, and then it is passed on to the gathering of people. Most leftovers are donated to some worthy group. When I was about 6, I was selected to be MARY. Needless, to say, being that young, I could care less about most of the food passing my way—NOW IF THAT WAS TODAY—THEY WOULD HAVE TROUBLE GETTING MARY OFF THE ALTAR! There is some of the most amazing food items served. It is not just random food—there is a significant meaning to each item served. Some of the items were as follows:
Dried Fava Beans—carry in your wallet-meant you would always have money on hand.
Blessed Bread in Freezer-throw crumbs out in bad storms to protect you.
Blessed Bread Shapes: Round (circle of life); Oval (Easter); Cross.
Bread Crumbs Spread Around Altar-represents St. Joseph’s carpenter dust.
Never meat on the altar—only seafood (because this holiday usually falls during Lent)
Beautiful Meringue Doves-represent the Holy Spirit.

The night before there is the blessing of the altar and all gather to say the rosary. How I miss those days! I hope you get to enjoy the ST. JOSEPH FRITTERS that were posted yesterday. I can still smell them in LITTLE MAW-MAW’S HOUSE!

We have a family event this coming weekend so once again the kitchen will be closed on Monday, March 23rd. Will be back on Tuesday, March 24th.

Have a most wonderful and productive weekend!