Saint Joseph's Day
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Saint Joseph's Day is marked in some branches of Christianity in honor of Saint Joseph, spouse of Mary and foster-father of Jesus.
It is a feast day in Roman Catholicism, and in the provinces of the Anglican Communion, falling on 19 March.
In the Orthodox Church the Feast of Saint Joseph falls on the Sunday after Christmas.
The 11th and 12th of the Divine Praises of the Roman Catholic Church are as follows: "Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother. Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse."
Saint Bernardino of Siena was the main proponent of Joseph's veneration in the west, where his feast day was first celebrated in 1621.
Pope Pius IX declared Joseph to be the patron of the Universal Church in 1870, and promoted the "Patronage" (later Solemnity) feast of Saint Joseph on the third Wednesday after Easter.
However, as Joseph was a carpenter (or a builder), he is also the patron saint of workers. Pope Pius XII decided in 1955 to add the optional feast day of Saint Joseph the Worker on May 1st, intentionally coinciding with the international labour day, the May Day.
St. Joseph's day is also the name day for many Josephs, Josephines, etc., as well as the patron saint of several religious orders within the Roman Catholic Church, such as the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.
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Catholic traditions of St. Joseph's Day, 19 March
Saint Joseph's Day always falls during Lent, and St. Joseph's Day altars and feasts have no meat. However, since the feast day is classed as a solemnity, the requirement of abstinence from meat is technically abrogated, according to Canon Law, even if it falls on a Friday. If the feast day falls on a Sunday, the following Monday (March 20) is observed instead, and if it falls during Holy Week or Easter week, it is moved to the Monday after Low Sunday, or eight days after Easter (prior to 1970 the Tuesday after Low Sunday was used as the alternate date).
Italy - La Festa di San Giuseppe
In Sicily and many Italian-American communities, thanks are given to St. Joseph ("San Giuseppe" in Italian) for preventing a famine in Sicily during the Middle Ages. The fava bean was the crop which saved the population from starvation, and is a traditional part of St. Joseph's Day altars and traditions. Giving food to the needy is a St. Joseph's Day custom.
In some Italian and Italian-American communities it is traditional to wear red clothing and eat a Sicilian pastry known as a Zeppole on St. Joseph's Day.
United States
In New Orleans, Louisiana, in addition to the above traditions, some groups of Mardi Gras Indians stage their last procession of the season, after which their costumes will be dismantled.
At Mission San Juan Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano, California, a festival celebrates the return of migratory swallows.
Also, it is traditional to pinch the left ear of a Joseph to give him good luck. New York
Spain
In Spain, the day is a version of Father's Day. In some parts of Spain it is celebrated as Falles (see also).
Philippines
In The Philippines, many families keep a tradition handed down from generations where they select an old man, a young woman and a small boy from among the poor, each dressed up as St. Joseph, the Virgin Mary and the child Jesus respectively. They are then made to sit around a table set with the family's best silverware and china where they are served a variety of courses and literally spoon-fed by senior members of the family as the novena to St. Joseph is being recited in a nearby temporary altar.