St Joseph’s day is so strongly bound to bread that in some parts of southern Italy it goes by La Mattredda, taking its name from la madia, a large wooden chest with deep drawers traditionally used in bread-making and storage. In preparation for the feast, groups of women dedicate hours to kneading and forming various bread shapes, from small, ornamental bread baskets to hefty staff-shaped loaves (to represent Joseph’s staff, which burst into bloom when Christ was born). In parts of Sicily, altars are decorated almost entirely with so-called pani votivi, or votive breads; intricately-shaped bakes in various sizes that are arranged around an image of the Holy Family. Outside the home, 'St Joseph's bread’ may be distributed from house to house or donated to the local church. Recipients of pane di San Giuseppe dedicate a special prayer to the saint.

St Joseph’s feast day, being a one-day sanctioned break from the eating restrictions of Lent, is witness to much indulging in sweets. Despite their different names and regional variations, the many decadent pastries of the day are invariably fried and filled with egg cream or ricotta. These include the Florentine speciality frittelle di riso, or fried rice fritters, and the soft and spongy sfingi and ricotta-stuffed cassateddi of Sicily. In the Italian-speaking Swiss canton Ticino, fried beignets known as tortelli di San Giuseppe will be enjoyed.

Several spring vegetables are linked to Joseph’s feast day, yet none so strongly as the fava bean, or broad bean. According to legend, a group of drought-stricken Sicilian farmers faced sure starvation until the saint intervened on their behalf, bringing about a miraculous crop of fava beans. This otherwise lowly legume has since come to represent Joseph’s generosity and benevolence, and in honour of him fava beans will be placed around the table or cooked in various dishes. Moreover, the fava bean has earned a lucky charm status among Catholics, some of whom will attend mass with a fava bean in their pocket on the day.

Perhaps no dish embodies the transitional nature of this holiday so well as the stew known as maccù di San Giuseppe. As the move from one season to the next is often characterised by purging and cleaning rituals, the customary emptying of the pantry around the equinox is said to account for this many-ingredient concoction. All the items of last season’s harvest—dried beans, peas, lentils, chestnuts—are tossed into the pot along with fresh greens, wild fennel and fava beans (of course). In making maccù di San Giuseppe, Italians at once honour the saint and ready the pantry for the spring-summer bounty to come.

In Puglia, a special kind of focaccia is made in honour of Joseph, one whose unique combination of ingredients reflects the local taste preference for things agrodolce, or sweet and sour. Anchovy, young white onions and raisins are added to a focaccia dough with a high olive oil content, which is then rolled into a spiral shape and baked. The bread likely owes its Joseph affiliation to the type of onions used, harvested this time of year before the onion bulb is fully formed and the stalk is very tender and flavourful.