Many Italian St. Joseph’s Day traditions come from the middle ages. During a famine in Sicily, when food was scarce and many people were starving, the poor people had only their faith to rely on. St. Joseph was known as the protector of the Holy Family; thus, Italians with strong family relationships prayed for St. Joseph to intercede for them, in an effort to ensure successful crops. Their prayers were answered, and the famine came to an end. In gratitude, people promised to make annual offerings of their most precious possession – food in St. Joseph’s honor.

Italian Catholics and many descendants of Italian immigrants prepare St. Joseph Tables, tavole di San Giuseppe, set to honor St. Joseph. They are filled with beautiful and often elaborate foods, including meatless dishes such as stuffed artichokes, pasta and fish, as well as breads, cookies, pastries, cakes and other delicacies.

• St. Joseph Tables are placed in both churches and homes. Each table is blessed by a priest and presided over by a statue of St. Joseph. A stalk of lily blossoms, votive candles and a lace tablecloth are typically used to decorate the feast table.

• Notices are posted in newspapers and in other media inviting the public to view and partake of the traditional meal of pasta Milanese. Participants often leave donations at the table.

• Special groups such as orphans, the elderly or the homeless are invited to share in the feast. At the end of St. Joseph’s Day, leftover food is sold or given away, and any money earned is donated to the poor.

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In the United States, red is worn on St. Joseph’s Day. There doesn’t seem to be any religious significance to this color. It seems to have begun as a tradition to complement the tradition of wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day, which falls only two days before.

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St. Joseph is the patron of workers and those in need of work. Prayers for the unemployed are often included in the traditions of March 19th celebrations.

The high veneration in which the Irish hold St. Patrick is evidenced by the common salutation, “May God, Mary, and Patrick bless you.” His name occurs widely in prayers and blessings throughout Ireland and it is said that he promises prosperity to those who seek his intercession on his feast day, which marks the end of winter.

We often hear about Saint Patrick running snakes out of Ireland. Well the snakes really are the pagans that were ran out of Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Blessing

As he brought new faith to Ireland

So may he bring out in you

A touch of Irish kindness

in everything you do.

And through the good St. Patrick

May your home and life be blessed

with all the special favors

That make you happiest.

Facts About Saint Patrick’s Day

1.Did you know that even though green is worn on Saint Patrick’s day, green is not the color of luck at all. Actually wearing green is strictly a U.S. custom, as the color green is considered unlucky in Ireland. Green is connected to the old green flag and a time when Ireland was not free.

2.Those cute little leprechauns are not friendly or happy creatures at all. They are tricksters and like to cause mischief.

3.A shamrock is not a four leaf clover, contrary to popular belief. When a four leaf clover is found it is said to represent God’s grace. The good luck attached with the four leaf clover predates Christianity in Ireland back to the ancient Druid priests.’

So think of these things when celebrating Saint Patrick’s day this year

Everything turns green on Saint Patrick’s day, But what is sad is that people really do not understand the true meaning of Saint Patrick’s day. It is not just about leprechauns and shamrocks. Did you know that the shamrock is a symbol of  the Holy Trinity? Well here is a little more about the saint himself Saint Patrick. Who Was Saint Patrick?

Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland and one of the most celebrated religious figures around the world, has very little factual information about his life and times most of which is quite vague. Most information about St. Patrick has been twisted, embellished, or simply made up over centuries by storytellers, causing much ambiguity about the real life of St. Patrick. However, there are a some elements of his story a which most scholars accept to be true.

According to Coilin Owens, Irish literature expert and Professor Emeritus of English at George Mason University, Saint Patrick is traditionally thought to have lived “between 432-461 A.D., but more recent scholarship moves the dates up a bit.” At the age of sixteen he was kidnapped from his native land of the Roman British Isles by a band pirates, and sold into slavery in Ireland. Saint Patrick worked as a shepherd and turned to religion for solace. After six years of slavery he escaped to the Irish coast and fled home to Britain.

While back in his homeland, Patrick decided to become a priest and then decided to return to Ireland after dreaming that the voices of the Irish people were calling him to convert them to Christianity.