Mambo Italiano! How We Celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph

March 19th is cause for great joy and celebration in our home. It's the feast of St. Joseph, and we like to honor him and thank him for his intercessory prayers for our family. Every year we like to celebrate what I call a Catholic, Italian-American version of a fiesta! Why Italian? Growing up in Chicago, St. Joseph's feast day was a big day for the Italian-American community because St. Joseph prayers are attributed stopping a famine in Sicily. On this day people wear red, and bake Italian pastries and breads, in honor of the good St. Joseph. Being the foster father of Jesus, St. Joseph is also the patron of fathers. On this day we therefore, also like to honor this handsome guy:

My dear hubby, also known as Papi (pronounced Pop- E, this means daddy in Spanish)! He's a wonderful husband and father, and we  love him with our whole hearts! Even the baby get's swept away by Papi's charm whenever he picks up his guitar to serenade her. My father,God rest his soul, really approved of my hubby when I first met him. He knew he was a winner, and that really meant a lot to me. I'll never forget how my dad lent my hubby his vintage Cadillac so we could go on a date to see the Joffrey ballet performing the Nutcracker in Downtown Chicago. Not even my brother had permission to take out the caddy! After that, I knew he was in!

So what's in store for us this March 19th?

• 7:30 AM Traditional Latin High Mass in honor of St. Joseph
• Breakfast Burritos with lot's of chile, just like my hubby loves (We're in the Southwest & it's his fave!)
• Holy Heroes St. Joseph coloring book mentioned by Lacy at Catholic Icing while listening to St. Joseph's Glory Story CD
• Find Italy on the globe and in the Atlas
• Read about the traditions of the feast of St. Joseph: Viva St. Joseph!
• Italian-American Dinner extravaganza including a Creamy Tomato-Basil Pasta w/ Chicken  
• Interview Papi with questions about his vocation in life, lessons he's learned, what he was like as a child and more (Interview ideas can be found by scrolling down to the middle of the page at Domestic Church)
• Lot's of Dean Martin & lot's of dancing! Mambo Italiano, That's Amore, and some fun, fun, fun Funiculi Funicula

Here are some more fun and informative links for this special day:

•  Catholic Culture: Liturgical Year: St. Joseph
• Wikipedia: St. Joseph's Day
• Catholic Cuisine: Month dedicated to St. Joseph (scroll down to March 19)
•  Prayer:: "O Joseph, foster Father of Jesus, most pure spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray for us daily to the Son of God, so that, armed with the might of His grace and loyally fighting the good fight here on earth, we may be crowned by Him at the hour of our death". Amen
• And just for fun, because my daddy loved dancing the mambo, my kids love this video version of Mambo Italiano!

This post dedicated to my daddy, Jose Garcia. I love you and miss you daddy. On this, your patron Saint's day, I pray that you are in the company of God and that I may see you smiling some day again.