Training Happy Hearts: Celebrate St. Joseph's Day with Food and Friends

Are you a last-minute mom like me, trying to decide how you will celebrate the liturgical year feast day of St. Joseph tomorrow?

If so, perhaps a peak back at our belated celebration from last year will offer you inspiration - as it is doing for me!

Last year, we enjoyed celebrating St. Joseph's Day with friends one day late as a part of our then-monthly Boys' Duct Tape Battle Club and Girls' Club Meet Up. At our gathering, the boys made Celtic swords (since St. Patrick's day had just passed, and, in their club, they always made armor or weapons inspired by history)...

...and the only big girl who was able to make it helped me put together a St Joseph table while the little girls played...

Then, after all the children played for a while...

...everyone in attendance came together to pray and chat about Saint Joseph and the tradition of the St Joseph's Day Table.

We examined some of the things laid out on the table and shared ideas about their symbolism.

In the center on the table was our now-traditional "flowering staff of St. Joseph", which recalled the legend that Joseph was selected to be Mary’s husband after his staff “blossomed” as a sign from God that He had chosen Joseph for this responsibility.

My helper decided to encircle the flowering staff in "12 fish" (cut from gluten free tortillas) since shaped bread are traditional to St. Joseph tables as is serving 12 fish to represent the 12 apostles.

Gluten-free and regular fig cookies had simple pictures cut into them, since pastries with fig in the shape of monstrances, chalices, crosses, doves, lambs, fish, Bibles, and hearts are common to St. Joseph tables.

Honeyed pasta with seasoned bread crumbs sprinkled on top, represented the sawdust of St. Joseph, the carpenter.

The remainder of the tortillas were laid out in a design (instead of being cut into symbolic shapes like lilies, sandals, a ladder, a saw, a hammer, a nail, a cane or staff to remind us of St. Joseph; a cross, palms, or wreaths or crowns to remind us of Jesus; or artichokes, grapes, and twists, which are also traditional to st. Joseph tables.)

Near them were chick peas, because we did not have any fava beans, but wanted to recall how they are known as “Lucky Beans", since legend has it that you will never be broke as long as you carry three fava beans and a myth tells how, during a famine in Sicily, the poor began to prepare beans fed to cattle (fava beans) for themselves, and, thus, we able to survive.

Breadsticks, grapes, and other fruit - all traditional to St. Joseph tables - were also out, with the fruit reminding us of the fruit that can come if we say "yes" to God's will as St. Joseph did.

There was also more fruit, grape juice (reminiscent of traditional wine), and tuna dish (to remind us of the 12 fish and their symbolism).

Since we had no lilies, pink carnations substituted and were put out with images of St Joseph and a brief biography of him.

All these were set on a 3-tier table -reminding us of the Holy Trinity, covered by a white table cloth - reminding us of God's pure love for us, with a St. Joseph peg doll statue at the top - centering us on which saint we were recalling and how he points us toward God.

Once we had chatted about these things (with patient children ready to dig in to eat - instead of just talk - about the food!), we had the children exercise just a bit more patience by stepping outside, and, then, reenacting Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the angels, and the saints coming to knock on the door.

Finally, all prayed grace and goodies were served - and devoured - with delight!

We felt so blessed to celebrate with friends from our local Catholic homeschool community, and hope this look back hopes you plan forward - as it is doing for me.
I am looking forward to a just-planned gathering for the feast day tomorrow.
If you'd like other ideas, feel free to take a peek at our past St. Joseph food and fun by clicking through the photos below.