St. Joseph's Day

Today is the day we celebrate St. Joseph's Day. What is St. Joseph's Day you ask?
Here's the scoop about St. Joseph's Day borrowed from Wikipedia:

In Sicily, where St. Joseph is regarded by many as their Patron Saint, and many Italian-American communities, thanks are given to St. Joseph ("San Giuseppe" in Italian) for preventing a famine in Sicily during the Middle Ages. According to legend, there was a severe drought at the time, and the people prayed for their patron saint to bring them rain. They promised that if he answered their prayers, they would prepare a large feast to honor him. The rain did come, and the people of Sicily prepared a large banquet for their patron saint. The fava bean was the crop which saved the population from starvation, and is a traditional part of St. Joseph's Day altars and traditions. Giving food to the needy is a St. Joseph's Day custom. In some communities it is traditional to wear red clothing and eat a Sicilian pastry known as a Zeppole on St. Joseph's Day.
Upon a typical St. Joseph's Day altar, people place flowers, limes, candles, wine, fava beans, specially prepared cakes, breads, and cookies (as well as other meatless dishes), and zeppole. Foods are traditionally served containing bread crumbs to represent saw dust since St. Joseph was a carpenter. Because the feast occurs during Lent, traditionally no meat was allowed on the celebration table. The altar usually has three tiers, to represent the trinity.

I hardly ever wear green on St. Patrick's Day, but on St. Joseph's Day, you will always find me wearing red. It's been that way in my family for as long as I can remember. And the zeppole they speak of? Oh yeah, here they are:



These are the two different kinds of what we call St. Joseph's Day pastries-zeppole and sfinge. The zeppole has a vanilla custard cream filling and the sfinge has a ricotta cream filling (like a cannoli). Oh my word they are beyond delicious! I had half of each because I had to, right? It is St. Joseph's Day afterall! ;)
Have a happy weekend my friends!