Traditions of the Sicans
St. Joseph in the Villages
Between faith and good food
the feast is served
Journey in devotion
and culinary flair
under the banner of the saint
St. Joseph in Sicilian villages. Also in this corner of Sicily, as in many other places on the island, the March 19 feast day is very much felt and participated in.
A unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the most intimate soul of the different communities and to get to know their most ancient and still very much alive traditions; a journey where faith is echoed by the most authentic flavors of the territory.
In the Agrigento area of Burgio, before we get to the actual feast day, tradition dictates that from the first Wednesday after Christmas until March 19, “St. Joseph Wednesdays” are celebrated. Each week, devotees gather to recite the novena of the saint and prepare themselves spiritually for the day of the feast.
On March 19, the tradition of the table set for the poor is also renewed here, with dishes prepared and offered by the faithful for grace received or for a vow made, so that grace may be received. Also according to tradition, recalling the number of members of the Holy Family, the beneficiaries of this rite, called “saints,” are at least three. Going around the village, where the open doors allow one to admire from house to house, the tables set with typical dishes, one can also receive the characteristic bread of St. Joseph as a gift. The festival also has a summer version in August, with several events, including the traditional breaking of the terracotta “piñatas.”
Also in the Agrigento area, in Ribera, opening the festivities in honor of St. Joseph is the characteristic “Entrance of the Laurel,” scheduled for the Sunday before March 19. The star of the event is the horseback parade of faithful, carrying laurel branches with colorful ribbons. Accompanied by the brass band, following the procession is the “straula,” an ancient Sicilian cart pulled by oxen and topped by a tall tower covered with laurel and blessed bread, then, distributed to the participants. On March 19, devotees impersonating the Holy Family, followed by those impersonating the apostles, go from house to house to visit the altars of St. Joseph: tables set with every good thing and vegetarian-proof, since meat is absolutely banned. Here, the typical dish is broad bean and fennel soup, offered to all visitors.
In the Palermo area, devotion to the Patriarch is also very strong in Castronovo di Sicilia. As early as the morning of March 19, through the streets of the Sicilian village the procession of the faithful, led by the “Santuzzi” representing the Holy Family, moves toward the Mother Church where, then, the solemn mass is celebrated. Only afterwards, and still in procession, does the crowd of faithful reach the town hall square, where to welcome them will be Jesus, Joseph and Mary seated at the traditional well-decorated and equally richly set table. Tradition calls for as many as thirteen typical local dishes to be eaten, which are first blessed, as blessed is the bread distributed to all who attend. The festive day ends with the procession of the wooden simulacrum of St. Joseph.
Also in the Palermo area, families devoted to the saint in Giuliana also set up their “Artaru di San Giseppi” at home. Altars elegantly set with precious tablecloth made by the expert hands of sublime embroiderers, and laid on the wall where a blanket is traditionally hung with a picture of St. Joseph or the Holy Family in the center. The votive bread, prepared in the most varied forms, now representing the hand of the saint, now a fish, a horse or a hen, is laid among flowers, lentil plants and sprouted wheat, all symbols of prosperity. Inevitable are the typical “cucciddati,” doughnut-shaped sweets and “sfincie” with ricotta cream.
On the St. Joseph’s menu, many vegetables: thistles, fennel, broccoli and asparagus mixed with eggs and cheese and fried in boiling oil. Among the most traditional dishes is pasta with “muddica,” bread crumbs baked in the oven and mixed with honey and grated chocolate. Really, amazing!
Still in the province of Palermo, also in Palazzo Adriano, St. Joseph is celebrated twice a year: on March 19 and the first Sunday in September. It goes without saying that it is one of the festivals in which the community most recognizes itself.
On both occasions, in addition to the exhibition of votive breads, the Sicilian village organizes a festival dedicated to the saint, with many tastings of characteristic vegetable-based dishes, once referred to as poor foods: thistles, battered broccoli, asphodels, asparagus, and mountain fennel. There is no shortage of traditional sweets and symbols of Sicilianity, such as pignolate and “sfince” with ricotta cream.
Here, too, there is the custom of opening the front door to visitors who want to admire the tables set for the occasion. To keep the tradition alive, every year one of the most impressive tables is made in the square by the very St. Joseph’s Association.
In addition, for St. Joseph’s Bread Festival, which takes place on the first Sunday in September, a large table is prepared in the churchyard of the Church of Mary Most Holy of the Lamp, with a generous assortment of votive bread in different forms; bread that, after being blessed, is distributed to the faithful. Solemn and very impressive is the evening procession with the simulacra of St. Joseph and Our Lady of Mount Carmel parading together.
Text by Editors
