The Sicilian scholar Giuseppe Pitrè (1841-1916) said well about the devotion to Saint Joseph in Sicily: "Note that if you don't have the Patriarch's patronage you have devotion to him everywhere." Doctor by profession, but historian, philologist, man of letters and anthropologist by vocation, Pitrè did not exaggerate with such an observation/statement. In fact, in the month of March, Sicily celebrates to honor the holy Patriarch and in almost all 390 municipalities the solemnity of 18 and 19 March is celebrated with suggestive religious-folkloric rites.

The traditional Tavolate di San Giuseppe are famous, also called artara or artari, autari or avutari, dinners or canteens, tavulate or tavulati: the domestic altars in front of which the family and neighborhood community gathers to pray together and to share gestures of charity fraternal. The Tavolate are singular architectures on which many local culinary delicacies are placed; there is a variety and vastness of bread whose shapes recall the figure and history of the Saint or the religious symbols of Lent and Easter; there is no shortage of fruit and vegetables, sweets and biscuits. An image of the Holy Family or of Saint Joseph dominates the entire table, covered with precious embroidered tablecloths and decorated with flowers and candles. 

Also famous are the bonfires, the fires, the illuminations of Saint Joseph which are lit on the evening of March 18th, called in different localities by the name of vampe or vampanigghia, pagghara or paggharu, luminaria or luminaggi, duminaria and fucati. 

In some places the Cavalcade of Saint Joseph is used to commemorate the escape into Egypt or simply the night arrival of the Holy Family in Bethlehem in search of accommodation.

The day of March 19 is the apotheosis of Josephite sacredness and folklore. First of all in the morning, after the various liturgical and devotional celebrations in the church, comes the time of the Saints, also called virginieddi or vicchiareddi, viciniddi or puvirieddi; the three characters representing the Holy Family who seek "hospitality" in the houses where the Tables have been set up and there, after having been welcomed with an evocative and moving ritual, they consume the meals that are gradually offered to them. The other important moment of the festival is the procession with the simulacrum of the holy Patriarch, a solemn event that concludes the celebrations.

These are the common elements found in more than 300 Sicilian localities (between Municipalities and their hamlets) that characterize the Patriarch's feast in our Sicilian territory. 

Other peculiarities are: the blessing and distribution of votive bread, in some parts it is richly worked bread; the Straula - in Ribera -, an allegorical cart pulled by oxen that goes around the town with hanging gifts offered to the saint; the rite of the 'mbraculi' - the miracles - in Valguarnera Caropepe, the offering of votive torches and wheat, carried on the backs of festively caparisoned horses, a sign of gratitude to the Saint for the miracles/graces bestowed. For March 19th it is also traditional to prepare St. Joseph's soup, also called maccu, made of broad beans and legumes; the sphinxes of Saint Joseph in the Palermo area, sweets filled with cream and ricotta, the ucciddati - also called bucciddati or vucciddati -, heavy dough donuts. Only in Acate are baddotti, rice balls in broth, used; in Santa Croce Camerina you eat the Principissedda with tomato, a typical pasta of the Josephan festival; in Valguarnera the pagnuccata, a pistachio dessert and more; in Alessandria della Rocca pignolata is prepared - flour, eggs and honey - and pasta cu la milanisa, bucatini seasoned with sardines, sauce, fennel and breadcrumbs; finally, in Salemi, ca muddica pasta is prepared. it is clear that this list of culinary traditions is only indicative and not entirely exhaustive.

Decorating the Tavolata, or the altar of the Saint in the church, or the processional simulacrum are the flowers and plants typically used during the festivities of Saint Joseph: u balicu, that is, the spring flower of the wallflower, used especially in Scicli, the freesias , the lily, the narcissus, the iris, the almond tree, the laurel. 

It is impossible here to briefly describe the methods, times and respective traditions of the over 300 Sicilian festivals in honor of Saint Joseph. The Patriarch's celebrations must be known and experienced in presence. In March, Sicily, labeled as mafia land, is actually the land that experiences sacredness, conviviality and solidarity in abundance. And Saint Joseph plays the part of him!