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St.
Joseph Table
A St. Joseph
Table is an offering of love, labor, and sacrifice in honor of the Patron Saint
of the Sicilians and the
Universal
Church
.
People
of Italian heritage in
Kansas City
have worked year after year to perpetuate this unique tradition of our
heritage, brought to
America
by their grandparents and great-grandparents.
According
to legend, the
St. Joseph
Altar originated in
Sicily
many centuries ago during a period of drought and famine. In desperation, the
people turned to
St. Joseph
asking his help. When the rains finally came and the crops prospered, their
prayers were answered. In thanksgiving, the community made offerings to
St. Joseph
of their most prized possession, their food.
To
honor
St. Joseph
, they erected a lovely altar with three levels to represent the Holy Trinity.
They draped it simply and beautifully in white and adorned it with flowers. They
then selected their finest grains, fruits, vegetables, seafood and wine and
invited all the poor to share in their prayer and festivity.
The
custom and devotion continue to this day. Each year altars laden with food are
prepared on March 19th to celebrate
St. Joseph
’s Feast Day. Reasons for having altars vary: to fulfill a promise, to give
thanks for a favor granted, such as the safe return of a loved one from war, for
healing the sick, for a happy life, for success in studies or business. It is
also an opportunity for the prosperous to share with those less fortunate.
Preparations
are made weeks in advance for the Great Day. Much hard work is involved, but
participants, family, and friends joyously accept this as a form of sacrifice
and labor of love.
Many
hours are spent shaping and designing the elaborate loaves of bread and cookies
which decorate the altar. Quite a number of these items are symbolic. The
Cuchidati, a large golden brown bread with a glossy finish of eggwash and sesame
seeds, is rolled and cut into different shapes symbolizing many things: wreaths
representing the Crown of Thorns; hearts symbolizing the Sacred Heart of Jesus
and Mary; the cross which represents the crucifixion; the Chalice for water and
wine; and a Monstrance containing the Host. This bread is also used to make
St. Joseph
’s staff and beard; palms representing those strewn in Jesus’ path in
Jerusalem
; and Pupacoulva, baskets containing dyed eggs said to foretell the coming of
Easter. There’s fish, birds, flowers and more… whatever the artistic
temperament dictates!
The cookies are
everybody’s favorites: fig cakes in many lovely patterns, large and small;
Biscotti, various shapes and sizes iced in colors of pink, green, white, yellow,
and chocolate, flavored with almond, vanilla, lemon, anise and other spices. The
Pignolati are pastry kernels molded with caramelized sugar into pyramids which
represent the pine cones Jesus played with as a child-and which children still
play with in the
Near East
. There are fluffy coconut bars and lambs, Bible shaped layer cakes, cannoli and
sfingi.
In addition to
all the wheat products, there is a great display of fruits, vegetables, and a
variety of seafood. No meat is ever served on a
St. Joseph
Table as the feast falls during Lent, and also because meat was a rare
commodity in Old
Italy
and
Sicily
. The few goats and cattle were retained for their milk and cheese.
The altars
groan under the weight of baked redfish, and twelve fried whole trout which
represent Christ’s feeding the multitudes. Some claim that 12 fish represent
the 12 apostles. Shrimp, crabmeat, and tuna are sometimes used in stuffed
vegetables such as green peppers, eggplant, squash, etc. Codfish (baccala),
lobster, crawfish and oysters also enhance the table.
Pasta Milanese
is the leading entrée on the Table. The tomato sauce is made with a fish base,
anchovy or fresh sardines, wild anise greens, pignola and currants topped with
fried season bread crumbs (Modica) instead of cheese. (The breadcrumbs are said
to represent the sawdust of
St. Joseph
the Carpenter.)
Most of the
vegetables, finochhi, broccoli, spinach, green beans, cabbage and cauliflower
are prepared as “frittata” (omelets). Stuffed artichokes, the carduni
(cardoon), are delicious when boiled, dipped in batter and fried.
The green fava
bean is also served in a frittata with garlic sauce. When dried, roasted and
blessed, it becomes the very popular “Lucky Bean”. Legend has it that you
will never be broke as long as you carry three fava beans. This myth began
during the famines in
Sicily
. The fava bean at that time was used as fodder for cattle. Some people today in
Calabria
still call them “horse beans”. In order to survive, the poor people
prepared them for themselves. Thus, it became the “Lucky Bean”. Today it is
considered a delicacy and is used in numerous recipes.
A most important
custom and a lovely one for the
St. Joseph
’s Day rites is that of having children enact the roles of the Holy Family,
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Sometimes Angels or favorite Saints are chosen to
accompany them with a table set up especially for them. They are served a very
small portion of each food on the altar beginning with an orange segment and
other fruits, Lentil soup, Pasta Milanese, fish, frittata, artichokes, olives,
salad, cheese, eggs, bread, cookies, rice pudding, confetti (sugar coated
almonds), fig and sesame seed cookies. This ritual is solemnly observed and
usually accompanied by prayer and hymns. Guests dine after the Holy Family has
completed their meal.
There is always
much levity and joyful exchange of camaraderie. The age-old expression is
frequently used- “May
St. Joseph
always smile upon you!”
The proceeds from
the
St. Joseph
Table will be used to help the poor, the elderly and the homeless who are
served through the programs and services of
Redemptorist
Center
.
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