The Festa di San Giuseppe, the feast day of Saint Joseph celebrated on March 19th, is a representative example of the ability of Italian traditions to seamlessly combine faith, popular culture, and gastronomy into a single celebration. The foster father of Jesus is a symbol of humility and industriousness, Saint Joseph is the patron saint and protector of carpenters, the poor, and orphans. Over the centuries, several culinary traditions have developed in his honor and are respected to this day in various Italian regions.
The tasty treats
One of the most characteristic aspects of the saint’s festival, wherever it is celebrated, is the preparation of typical desserts inspired by the ancient custom of distributing food to the less fortunate. The most famous is the bignè di San Giuseppe, a fried dessert filled with a delicious custard, which is particularly beloved in Rome. Their origin likely dates back to the popular custom of frying sweets in the street on festival days, which ultimately gave life to the figure of “San Giuseppe frittellaro,” as he is later referred to in Checco Durante’s 1950 poem of the same name. Moreover, the poet refers to the tradition, considered to be biblical in origin, by which Joseph, along with Mary and the Baby Jesus, earned his living by selling pancakes on the street in order to support his family through their flight into Egypt. We may think of this as a precursor of sorts to today’s street food.
Instead, in Campania the celebration is most associated with the zeppole di San Giuseppe, cabbage-shaped doughnuts that are either fried or baked and then garnished with custard and black cherries in syrup. This dessert as we know it today derives from a Neopolitan variation of the zeppole dating back to 1840. So too other regions throughout Italy have their own twists on the festivals’ confectionery traditions, such as Tuscan fritelle di riso, or rice fritters cooked in milk and flavored with lemon zest and liqueur.
Pagan links
The link between Saint Joseph and food is rooted in ancient tradition. Some scholars hypothesize that the festival may also have been linked to the Lupercalia, Roman pagan rites to mark the transition from winter to spring and honor fertility and rebirth. With the advent of Christianity, these ancient holidays were progressively replaced by Christian celebrations, such as that of Saint Joseph, which still however managed to retain symbolic elements of its pagan origins.
In Rome, the festival is solemnly honored at the Church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami in the heart of the Roman Forum. This church, closely linked to the Brotherhood of Carpenters, is a reference point for artisans who rely on the protection of the saint and celebrate him through religious functions and traditional acts of sharing. Another important Roman celebration takes place at the Parish of San Giuseppe al Trionfale, where every year a pancake festival is held after the saint’s procession in order to keep alive this ritual of faith and conviviality.
Today, the feast day of St. Joseph still represents a special occasion to celebrate not only the saint himself but also the importance of sharing and community more broadly. Tables become filled with traditional sweets, symbolic of abundance and gratitude, while cities and towns carry out their respective rites and traditions to unite the sacred and profane through the perfect blend of history, culture, and flavors.
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