St. Joseph is among the most venerated saints in Christianity. He is the head of the Holy Family, husband of the Virgin Mary, and stepfather to Jesus. Though St. Joseph is honored throughout Christendom, celebrations of St. Joseph’s feast day, March 19, are particularly resplendent among Italians—especially in the region of Sicily—and Italian Americans.

Italians and Italian Americans often mark the Feast of St. Joseph with a sacro-gastronomic feast known as Tavole di San Giuseppe, or St. Joseph’s Tables. These altar-tables, which are typically housed in church halls, community centers, and private homes, serve as expressions of gratitude or acts of devotion, and are accompanied by the distribution of food to family, friends, and the larger community. 

From March to May 2020, the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA) will present an exhibition exploring St. Joseph’s prominence in Italian American culture. The IAMLA seeks images of St. Joseph’s tables and activities related to St. Joseph’s feast day, as well as recipes, stories, and other devotional and decorative connected to St. Joseph and St. Joseph’s tables. Items could include prayer cards, hand-written recipes, family stories, traditional breads, hand-made decorations, etc. 

Select items will be featured in the exhibition presented at the IAMLA. Please send an image of the item(s) and a brief description to [email protected], by January 15.

Please do not mail or bring original items to the IAMLA; please send or email images of the item(s) only. For more information please call (213) 485-8432 or email the address above.