St. Joseph’s Day is celebrated on March 19, the feast day of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He is the patron saint of the Catholic Church, fathers, carpenters, and workers. The celebration of St. Joseph’s Day began in the Middle Ages.
On St. Joseph’s Day, it is traditional to wear red. Just like green is the color of the day for Saint Patrick, Red is the color of the day for Saint Joseph! That is why the Zeppoles are topped with red cherries! .
One of the most popular traditions of St Joseph’s Day is to set the Tavola di San Giuseppe or the Table of Saint Joseph. It is customary to set the table on the evening of March 18 with pasta, vegetables, fresh fish, eggs, pastries, fruit, and wine!
If you find yourself in Italy around March 19th, don’t be surprised to see bakeries selling Zeppole di San Giuseppe. This special pastry only appears a couple of weeks before the feast day dedicated to Saint Joseph, before disappearing until the following year. Every region in Italy has a slightly different take on the recipe. If you take the time to make any of these region-specific St Joseph’s pastries, you will surely agree that they are nothing short of heavenly!