Every year, on 19 March, in many countries in southern Italy, bread becomes a symbol, an offering, a ritual gesture. It is the day dedicated to St Joseph, patron saint of orphans, the poor and carpenters. During this celebration, he becomes the protagonist of a festival that intertwines Christian faith with ancient rites linked to the earth and its renewal, in the moment before the beginning of spring.
The popular origins of this celebration are very ancient and date back to at least the 15th century. Its roots are connected to the agrarian cults of fertility, practised in honour of Demeter, goddess of agriculture and harvests, to whom tradition also attributes the birth of bread.
