St. Joseph's Bread
(Pane di San Giuseppe)
St. Joseph's Bread is a traditional bread served on St. Joseph's Day, March 19. It is an egg bread with a crumb that has a tighter, denser weave, allowing the dough to be used for fancy bread-sculpting designs. Breads in the form of crosses, staffs, wheat sheaves, images of St. Joseph, and braids of the Blessed Mother adorn the St. Joseph table and are eaten throughout the feast day.
St. Joseph Altar Symbols
Shapes of the Breads and Cakes
| Monstrance | Holds the Sacred Host | |
| Chalice | Consecration of the Bread and Wine at the Last Supper | |
| Cross | Crucifixion of Christ | |
| Dove | The Holy Spirit | |
| Lamb | Jesus, the Lamb of God | |
| Fish | Christian symbol of Jesus Christ | |
| Bible | Large cake that is one of the focal points of the altar | |
| Hearts | Sacred Heart of Jesus, Immaculate Heart of Mary | |
| Palms |
Palm of martyrdom, also the palms cast at the feet of Jesus as he entered Jerusalem |
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Symbols of St. Joseph
Lilies, Staff, Sandals, Beard, Ladder, Saw, Hammer, and Nails
