The St. Joseph Altar is Sicilian in origin. During a terrible famine, the people of Sicily pleaded to St. Joseph, their patron saint, for relief. St. Joseph answered their prayers, and the famine ended. In gratitude, they prepared a table with foods they had harvested. After paying homage to St. Joseph, they distributed the food to the less fortunate.
The table is set up in three tiers, representing the Holy Trinity. A statue of St. Joseph is placed on table, usually surrounded by flowers, greenery & fruit.
No meat is prepared for the table. This is probably because St. Joseph's Feast falls in the Lenten Season, therefore the meal served is vegetarian. Also, it is the end of winter & the beginning of spring. In earlier times, March was a time of scarcity & the food stored from the previous harvest was almost gone. Breads, cakes and cookies, sometimes baked in symbolic Christian shapes, are prepared for the table. Symbols of St. Joseph - such as lilies & staffs - are also used to adorn the table.
