Saint Joseph Feast and Saint Joseph Tables

A devotion that spans the centuries

The Saint Joseph Feast in Borgetto, a small town in the Metropolitan City of Palermo on the slopes of Western Sicily, is much more than a religious recurrence: it is the moment when the entire town transforms into a vast, widespread altar. The tradition dates back to the first half of the 19th century, linked to the founding of the Congregation of Saint Joseph, and still attracts visitors and devotees from across the province today.

The Saint Joseph Tables

The heart of the festival is the famous Saint Joseph Tables (also known as dinners, altars, or "artari parati"), set up in private homes to fulfill a vow and thank the Saint. Families open their doors and lay out lavish tables, distributed throughout various homes in the town, while a huge flow of people fills the streets to visit them one after another. It is a rite of charity and sharing, ensuring that "bread is never lacking" for the poorest families.

The tables must feature typical products of Sicilian votive cuisine:

• Saint Joseph bread, molded into symbolic shapes such as the palm, in memory of the Virgin Mary's purity, and the buccellato;
• pasta with sardines and breadcrumbs, sardine or egg meatballs, fried foods, and garden vegetables;
• traditional sweets: sfince, cassatelle, and fresh ricotta.

The rite of the three Saints

According to custom, some families invite three poor children to impersonate the Holy Family—Jesus, Joseph, and Mary—re-enacting the flight into Egypt. The first three bites of every dish are tasted by the children ("a pasciuta"), accompanied by songs and nursery rhymes in the Sicilian dialect, before the table is opened to all visitors.

Between faith and folklore

Alongside the liturgical celebrations, the festivities enliven the center of Borgetto with a craft fair, exhibitions, tastings of local products, folk performances, and parades through the town streets. The most anticipated moment is the procession of the Saint Joseph statue, accompanied by confraternities, the marching band, and numerous faithful, which concludes the feast amidst deep emotion and fireworks.