A unique display of Sicilian and Italian culture is on display this month at the Madisonville Museum, 201 Cedar St. in Madisonville.
South Louisiana Catholics have showed their devotion to St. Joseph for generation through the building of altars laden with edible breads, fruits, pastries and other treats. The tribute was originally built in homes as thanks for a favor granted through the year or in remembrance of a loved one.
While altars are still made in some homes, church parishes and even some businesses, such as Anne Dale in Mandeville, now have altars as part of their Lenten, or spring, tradition.
This miniature St. Joseph Altar by Cindy Maher is on display at the Madisonville Museum along with a regular St. Joseph altar by Paul Cimino. (Staff Photo by Debbie Glover)
The altars are not simply built of lavish displays of foods and pastry. They are a symbol of a culture and tradition handed from one generation to another and everything included in an altar has meaning.
It was considered an honor to be included in the family’s preparations of the altar and many children waited impatiently for the day they, too, could roll the dough for cookies and bread.
Everything on the altar is blessed, including food, candles, fava beans, medals and holy cards. Usually the blessing is bestowed in a ceremony the afternoon before an altar is broken.
A fresh green branch is placed over the door of the room where the altar is located to invite people in to share in the altar.
Among the symbols found on altars are a monstrance holding the Sacred Host; a chalice symbolizing the consecration of the bread and wine t the Last Supper; the cross, symbolizes the crucifixion of Christ; the dove is the Holy Spirit; the lamb is Jesus, the Lamb of God; the fish is the Christian symbol of Jesus; a large cake symbolizes the Bible, which is one of the focal points of the altar; hearts symbolize the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary; wreath, the crown of thorns and a symbol of eternal love; and palms, cast at the feet of Jesus as He entered Jerusalem.
Symbols for St. Joseph include lilies, a staff, sandals, beard, ladder, saw, hammer and nail.
Other symbols on the altar are the mollica, which are the browned and seasoned breadcrumbs sprinkled over the pasta Milanese representing the sawdust of Joseph the carpenter. Pignolatti is fried pastry molded in the shape of pinecones representing the pinecones that Jesus played with as a child. Twelve whole fish represent the apostles and/or the miracle of the loaves and the fishes. Pupaculova is baked bread filled with dyed Easter eggs symbolizing the coming of Easter. Wine symbolizes the wedding at Cana, with grapes the vineyards of Sicily, olive oil and olive salad the olive orchards of Sicily and dried figs the fig orchards.
The fava bean has a history of its own. Also called the “lucky bean” the bean thrived during the worst famine in Sicily, when other crops failed. It was used for fodder for the cattle and animals. Experts disagree whether humans ate the beans or not, but an extensive cooking process is used when preparing the hard beans. Legend has it the person who carries one will never be without coins.
A ceremony, “Tupa-Tupa” when the altar is broken for consumption begins with three children selected to portray Jesus, Mary and Joseph. They knock on a door to the house and say, “Ce’ allogio qui?” or “Is there room here? This is repeated at different entrances. The third time, the response is “Whatever I have is yours. Come and eat at my table.” They are then served several courses, St. Joseph being served first. Before each course, the words, “Mangiate, santos dolce” are said, “Eat, sweet saints.”
At the end of the ceremony, Jesus takes the cross, Joseph the staff or the beard and Mary the heart. The remaining visitors than partake of the altar.
The altar is known for building community and family strength through the baking, building and displaying of the altar. Donations are made by visitors that are then given to charity, as no one is allowed to profit financially from the altar.
Source:
By Debbie Glover
St. Tammany News
Published on Thursday, March 11, 2010 9:08 PM CST




















