SaintnJoseph is, according to Catholicism, the husband of Mary andntherefore the step-father of Jesus. Joseph’s Feast Day isn’tnas famous in the U.S. as Saint Patrick’s Day, two days before, but itnis celebrated in many places in the world, sometimes with colorful and excitingncustoms.
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Like,ndon’t you just love it when an entire town turns out to watch giantnpuppets lit up on fire? And when the town is noisy 24 hours a day,nfor a week or more? When they explode fireworks every day at noon,nand hold street parties, and have huge light displays that rival LasnVegas?
Like,ndon’t you just love it when an entire town turns out to watch giantnpuppets lit up on fire? And when the town is noisy 24 hours a day,nfor a week or more? When they explode fireworks every day at noon,nand hold street parties, and have huge light displays that rival LasnVegas?n
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nThatnis LasnFallas,nthe period of time leading up to and including St. Joseph’s Day, innValencia, Spain. (There “St. Joseph” is translated to “SannJose.”)
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InnSicily, Italy, people have huge banquets in St. Joseph’s honor; theyngive food to the needy, wear red, and build and decorate specialnaltars to St. Joseph. (There “St. Joseph” is translated to “SannGiuseppe.”)
InnSicily, Italy, people have huge banquets in St. Joseph’s honor; theyngive food to the needy, wear red, and build and decorate specialnaltars to St. Joseph. (There “St. Joseph” is translated to “SannGiuseppe.”)n
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nInnvarious places in the world, St. Joseph’s Day is celebrated as anspecial day to honor people named Joseph or Josephine, andncarpenters, and fathers—because Joseph was a carpenter and anfather. St. Joseph is considered the patron saint of Canada, Mexico,nChina, and Belgium—so this Feast Day is celebrated by many in those nations.
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Onenof the places that celebrates St. Joseph’s Day as a sort of informal national day isnLiechtenstein. This is a teeny, tiny country located in the Alps, in Europe. Itnis one of only two nations in the world that is doubly landlocked,nwhich means Liechtensteiners have to go through two countries to getnto an ocean or sea! (You can travel from Liechtenstein to landlockednSwitzerland, and from there to either France, Germany, or Italy. Ornyou can travel from Liechtenstein to landlocked Austria, and fromnthere to either Germany or Italy.)
Onenof the places that celebrates St. Joseph’s Day as a sort of informal national day isnLiechtenstein. This is a teeny, tiny country located in the Alps, in Europe. Itnis one of only two nations in the world that is doubly landlocked,nwhich means Liechtensteiners have to go through two countries to getnto an ocean or sea! (You can travel from Liechtenstein to landlockednSwitzerland, and from there to either France, Germany, or Italy. Ornyou can travel from Liechtenstein to landlocked Austria, and fromnthere to either Germany or Italy.)n
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nLiechtensteinnis about as large as a city near me, Long Beach, California. Then36,000 Liechtensteinersnspeak German and enjoy one of the highest standards of living in thenworld. Neutral during World War II, a tax haven, a financial center,nand a perfect spot for ski resorts, this nation has a lot going fornits economy.
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nLearnnmore about Liechtenstein here.
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nAlsonon this date:
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nBattle of March 19 in the Dominican Republic
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SwallowsnDay at Mission San Juan Capistrano
SwallowsnDay at Mission San Juan Capistranon
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nAnniversarynof the discovery of electric eels
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