March 19 is Saint Joseph’s Day, a Roman Catholic feast day that commemorates the life of the stepfather of Jesus and husband of Mary. Many people — especially those of Italian descent — observe the day as a holiday. It is a time to remember an ordinary father and husband who had to handle some extraordinary challenges. In parts of Italy people have long identified with Joseph (known as “Giuseppe”) as someone who understands the plight of the common man and woman. In some places special foods are made with breadcrumbs to represent the sawdust in Joseph’s carpentry workshop.
My ancestors are from Sicily and my family followed this Italian tradition. On St. Joseph’s Day my mother made one of my favorite treats – whole artichokes stuffed with seasoned breadcrumbs of Italian herbs, parmesan cheese and olive oil. My job was to sit at the kitchen table, carefully separating each petal of the artichoke and filling the space with a spoon full of breadcrumbs. The artichokes were steamed and served at the end of the meal as a closing ritual. Starting with the outer petals, one at a time, we removed a petal filled with stuffing. We scraped the top part of the petal through our teeth, combining the soft, pulpy part of the artichoke with the tasty stuffing into one mouthful of heavenly delicousness.
As a child, the food was more important than the religious meaning behind the traditional meal. As an adult, I reflect more on the meaning and the symbol of hope the breadcrumbs represent. I connect the sawdust to many ordinary people who have a wish that any depression or sadness which descends on us in the winter months will now blow away like sawdust in a breeze. Or, at least we will experience an emotional balance as we are surrounded by signs of new life and vigor during this season.
In celebration of St. Joseph, I share Psalm 118:14, a verse that my parents imagined Joseph singing as he began his workday, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Marianne DiBlasi, CPE Intern