NEW ORLEANS — March 19th is St. Joseph's Day, a Sicilian tradition that New Orleanians have embraced and made their own. For the St. Joseph's Day feast, churches and people across the New Orleans area celebrate by decorating altars.
In a Metairie backyard, a tradition continues: on the altar, an array of sweets, fresh produce, and breads. It's Catherine Hassinger's backyard, she told WWL Louisiana, "There's something different about your tiny little family or your inner circle coming together to create something on the private side."
It's all part of the St. Joseph's Day feast, Hassinger said, "People that have immigrated here that have built lives here, it's a way of celebrating their heritage with mixing in New Orleans traditions."
It’s a tradition that started centuries ago, we celebrate it here, because many Sicilians migrated to New Orleans, bringing with them their traditions.
Local churches celebrate the holy day, too, with Brother Martin High School showcasing its elaborate altar. Cissy Yakelis with the school said, "We honor St Joseph for the food."
She went on to say, "We started with the baking of the cookies, we did about 9000 cookies."
Everything on the altar is there for a reason.
This tradition one Hassinger says younger generations will celebrate too in years to come.
"It's something you can have at home even if it's just a table and your family comes and prays together."
You can find a list of all the churches celebrating here.
Much of the leftover food will be donated by the end of Tuesday when the altars are taken down.