February, 2009
CookiesItalian.com NEWSLETTER
St. Joseph's Day March 19th
Did you hear about the pastor who was reading in his study? The housekeeper came in and said: "Father, there's a hobo at the door who wants something to eat. What should I do?"
The pastor said: "Mary, give the poor man something to eat, he may be St. Joseph in disguise."
"But Father," said the housekeeper, "The man has been drinking - he's a bit tipsy."
The pastor replied: "Give him something to eat anyway - he might be St. Patrick in disguise."
March is the month we celebrate both Saint Patrick and Saint Joseph. The Irish get all excited about Saint Patrick. They drink green beer and eat corned beef and cabbage - basicly a boiled dinner. But we "Italian kids" love Saint Joseph. We look forward to all the delicious food and sweets on the Saint Joseph Table.
St. Joseph's Day is a big Feast for Italians because in the Middle Ages, God, through St. Joseph's intercessions, saved the Sicilians from a very serious drought. So in his honor, the custom is for all to wear red, in the same way that green is worn on St. Patrick's Day.
Today, after Mass (at least in parishes with large Italian populations), a big altar ("la tavola di San Giuse" or "St. Joseph's Table") is laden with food contributed by everyone. Different Italian regions celebrate this day differently, but all involve special meatless foods: minestrone, pasta with breadcrumbs (the breadcrumbs symbolize the sawdust that would have covered St. Joseph's floor), seafood, Sfinge di San Giuseppe, and, always, fava beans, which are considered "lucky" because during the drought, the fava thrived while other crops failed.
The day ends with each participant taking home a bag that might be filled with bread, fruit, pastries, cookies, a medal of St. Joseph, a Holy Card and/or a blessed fava bean. Keep your "lucky bean," and let it remind you to pray to St. Joseph.
Even the Birds Love Saint Joseph
Another amazing thing that happens On Saint Joseph's Day is the return of the cliff swallows to the Mission of San Juan Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano, California. The mission -- one of the oldest buildings in California, and a part of a string of 21 missions that line California's coast -- was founded on 1 November 1776, the Feast of All Saints, by the Franciscan priest, Junipero Serra, in honor of St. John Capistrano. It was begun the year before, with members of a friendly Indian tribe helping to build, but when word came that the Mission of San Diego was attacked by an unfriendly Indian tribe, the bells were buried and everyone took shelter until building could continue.
When the mission was finally completed, a small town grew up around it, and this is where the legend of the swallows begins. It is said that one of the priests noticed a storekeeper in town angrily sweeping down the swallows’ nests and chasing away the "dirty birds." The priest, being a Franciscan, of course invited the poor little birds to the Mission where there was "room for all." The birds, sensing the spirit of St. Francis around the place, followed and have remained loyal to the Mission ever since.
No matter the origins of the story, the fact is that each year on 23 October, the swallows fly south for 7,500 miles to Goya, Argentina. There they winter until the end of February when they make their way home, arriving back at the Mission of Capistrano on St. Joseph's Day, where they are greeted with the ringing of church bells and great festivities. A love song was written with this return of the swallows as its focal point; it was recorded by the Ink Spots, Glenn Miller, Pat Boone, and Elvis Presley (click here for an MP3 of the Inkspots's version of this song) :)
When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano
Words and Music by Rene Leon, Copyright © 1940/1969
When the swallows come back to Capistrano
That's the day you promised to come back to me.
When you whispered farewell in Capistrano
'Twas the day the swallows flew out to the sea.
All the mission bells will ring
The chapel choir will sing
The happiness you'll bring
Will live in my memory.
When the swallows come back to Capistrano
That's the day I pray that you'll come back to me.
While the altar candles burn
My heart is burning too
If you should not return
I'll still be waiting for you.
When the swallows come back to Capistrano
That's the day I pray that you'll come back to me,
That's the day I pray that you'll come back to me.
St. Joseph is symbolized by carpenters' tools and the lily, and is usually represented in art holding the Baby Jesus. He is the patron of the Church, the dying, a holy death (because it is believed he died in the company of Our Lord and Lady), happy family life, married people, carpenters, and workers.
Have a happy Saint Joseph's Day and don't forget to celebrate with lots of Italian Cookies.
