St. Joseph Day Altars are a tradition in New Orleans St. Joseph Day traditions, symbols and, yes, superstitions are as varied as the offerings you will find on altars throughout the city.

"In pre-literate societies, one way to talk about ideology and theology was to use symbols," said Xavier University's Kim Vaz, who has worked with the students on St. Joseph altars for three years.

Metairie Manor is a senior living community that was not able to celebrate St. Joseph ... are a symbol of luck and one of the essential trinkets adorning every Saint Joseph’s altar.

A well-known New Orleans Catholic, Sandra Scalise Juneau wrote a commemorative book, Celebrating with St. Joseph Altars: The History, Recipes, and Symbols of a New Orleans Tradition (LSU Press ...

“They’re kind of the sign, the symbol of these altars and of the St. Joseph’s Day feast,” said Shaubhut. “You carry one around and it’s supposed to be good luck and good fortune for ...

The St. Joseph Altar in Alumnae Hall at St. Mary’s Dominican ... the altar included cakes and breads in forms of Christian symbols: the Pascal Lamb, a Bible, crosses and a crown.

Citrus are common on St. Joseph Altars, but lemons hold a peculiar symbolism ... Fava beans, on the other hand, are a symbol for good luck. "In Sicily, there was a famine, so they prayed ...

The altars were filled with mainly peasant food, said Mileti, like fruits and vegetables, and bread braided into shapes to symbolize St. Joseph. “Bread is a symbol of life and abundance ...

St. Joseph altars, often referred to as tables in Catholic ... The three-tiered tables — a symbol of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — are generally found in U.S. cities in which ...

but the real celebrating centers around extravagant altars filled with traditional food, religious symbols and tributes to loved ones. Italians may set up a St. Joseph altar at home, brimming with ...

"The symbols on the altar of what we have ... where she is part of a student group that hosts its own version of the St. Joseph altar. "I think it's just a really beautiful opportunity to ...

Many of the baked goods are made in Christian symbols such as the Cross. Catholicculture.org states the fava beans pay a big part in the St. Joseph Altar. In Sicily, fava beans were typically ...