Visions of St. Joseph altars dance across Amy Cannizaro Burris’ childhood memories. Her grandmothers participated in the annual tradition in greater New Orleans when she was growing up, creating altars intricately arranged with homemade cookies and breads, along with candles and pictures of loved ones. The practice is a tribute to St. Joseph, believed to have delivered Sicily from famine during the Middle Ages.
When Sicilians emigrated to south Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they brought along the Old World ritual, which honors Sicily’s patron saint with offerings situated on three-tiered spreads. It’s long been popular in homes and churches in the Crescent City, but now has a foothold in the Capital Region as well.
