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The Feast
of San Giuseppe 18 Mary
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| Amongst
all the traditions that are still practiced,
it is worth remembering the Feast of San Giuseppe
(Saint Joseph). It is a feast day that has survived
well. So much so that every year the same firm
upholders of the tradition do their best to
organize the San Giuseppe lunch which is not
only a homage to the saint but also a putting
into practice of the commandment, love your
neighbour as yourself. |
The whole ritual starts at
the end of Mass with three people dressed
up as unknown peasants going in procession
to the house where the saint's altar has been
prepared with loaves sculpted into flowers,
crowns, other various symbols and, above all,
where there are tables decked out for a feast
and where dishes of food come from every house
in San Vito.
First, when the three unknown peasants,
passing themselves off as three poor pilgrims
that wanted to rest, knocked twice at the
door, the door was closed, and closed it
remained. And it is only when the peasants
declare their identity, when they say they
are Jesus, Joseph and Mary, only then does
the owner of the house throw open the doors
shouting: Everyone come into my house! This
could be interpreted as the common immagination
wanting to point out its enthusiastic willingness
to receive the Holy Family, or it could
mean somthing else entirely.
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| It
is at this point that the feast begins, with
its own rules and customs. The Baby Jesus sits
at the table between his august parents and
benedicts every cry of praise from the people,
meanwhile the three attendants serve them, and
remain attentive to their orders. Because if
a "saint" signals his attendant that
he wants to make you a gift of a morsel of fresh
bean frittata, you can't not accept, because
that food is sacred, and it's not polite to
be rude to the saints.
In the end, all that bountiful good food
ends up more in the the stomachs of the "devoted"
that are present, than in the stomachs of
the incognito peasants, who "should"
be used to repentence and can always console
themselves with the cheering.
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But
the best part of the feast day are the fires,
which are lit only at the arrival of the musical
band on the night of the vigil, the 18th March,
and everyone goes visiting them all. Today the
asphalt of the streets and the growing urbanisation
do not allow for what thirty or forty years
ago was still possible. Even Piazza Santuario,
had it's own fire back then, and it was the
grandest of them all.
Here we must return to the discussion of the
dogs of saint Vito. In fact, the fires would
have nothing to do with San Giuseppe, if the
feast day of the saint did not happen to coincide
with the arrival of spring. It is a pagan residue,
a sort of propitiatory rite for the imminent
re-awakening of nature. In our region this ritual
takes place on the eve of the Ascension, in
March. In the mountains of Catania, it happens
on the evening of the Epiphany, and in the countryside
of Friuli,it takes place in the middle of winter,
because there, if the winter countryside gets
covered in snow, the gathering will always be
excellent in spring.
But we don't ask ourselves all this as we
listen to the notes of the musical band and
we overcome the crackling of the flames with
our "Viva saint Joseph!"
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