The Feast of San Giuseppe
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.

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.

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!"

La vampa

La banda musicale fa il giro delle vampe
nella festività di s. Giuseppe