The Fava Bean, St. Joseph, And Sicily
How are they related?
My great grandmother arrived in New Orleans from Sicily in 1907. The French Quarter was called “Little Palermo” due to the influx of Sicilian immigrants during this period. There were additional areas of the country that had “Little Italy” neighborhoods such as Chicago and New York.
Even though there was a nativist movement during the time, causing Sicilians to become “Americanized,” their food and traditions are still around today. One of those is the celebration of St. Joseph’s Day (San Giuseppe in Italy)
Tradition: the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation — Dictionary.com
The Sicilian celebration of St. Joseph’s Day goes back to the Middle Ages. Sicily had a drought destroying their crops. St. Joseph answered their prayers for rain, but the only plant salvaged was the fava bean. A famine circumvented.
Sicilians have honored Saint Joseph since. Older Sicilians, such as my grandmother, carried a dried fava bean in their wallets to bring good fortune.
