I once read in a Goodfella’s pizza menu that it is customary for Italian folks to eat zeppoles on St. Josheph’s Day. St. Joseph’s Day is a Roman Catholic feast day commemorating the life of St. Joseph, the step-father of Jesus and husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. People with very strong religious association, often those of southern Italian descent, typically celebrate St. Joseph’s Day. March 19th is said to be St. Joseph’s birthday.
A little history here…..During a famine in Sicily, when food was scarce and many people were starving, the poor people had only their faith to rely on. St. Joseph was known as the protector of the Holy Family and Italians had strong family relationships, so they prayed for St. Joseph to intercede for them so they could have successful crops. Their prayers were answered, and the famine came to an end.
Soooo, when I read this in the menu, I plugged it into my calendar and we carried it through! The zeppoles were delicious (and very rich!) and we had a fabulous time as we established this new Hardwick tradition.
