Learn about this Sicilian tradition and find out where to see St. Joseph’s Day altars in New Orleans.
Ever noticed that many New Orleanians have accents similar to the kind you’d find in New York? That’s because New Orleans was a prime destination for Sicilians in the 19th century — in fact, by the late 1800s, the French Quarter was almost 80 percent Sicilian.
THE HISTORY
One of the traditions the Sicilians carried with them when they immigrated here was the construction of elaborate altars for the Feast of Saint Joseph, celebrated on March 19. According to legend, people prayed to St. Joseph to help them during a terrible famine that ended because of an unexpected bounty of fava beans. The story goes that the people created an altar of thanks and began a yearly tradition honoring the saint. Altars piled high with food served the dual purpose of feeding the hungry.
Today, altars are still used to thank St. Joseph for answering a prayer or to ask for help. Those who cannot build their own altar are able to keep their promises to St. Joseph by working on altars in their community or church. Some altars are created out of a custom called questua, which means “searching” or “seeking.” Instead of buying the ingredients and materials for the altar, one begs for them, further humbling oneself in an act of poverty. This recalls the impoverishment of the starving Sicilians who initially asked for St. Joseph’s help. It also reminds the person on the questua of the purpose of the altar – to feed the hungry. Some celebrations include tupa tupa (or knocking). Here, children dressed up like Jesus, Joseph, and Mary knock on doors until finally being welcomed in to eat.
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