St. Joseph’s Day
Legend has it that St. Joseph and the humble fava bean saved Sicilians from famine in the Middle Ages. To this day, Sicilians and those of Sicilian descent living in New Orleans pay homage to the saint by erecting altars in their homes on March 19 of each year.
International House also observes this annual feast day from March 15 through March 21, creating in the lobby its own St. Joseph’s Day altar, a fanciful interpretation of those that appear in homes throughout the city. Over the years, this has been one of the many colorful customs that give the elegant boutique hotel its distinctly local character. Hotel owner Sean Cummings feels it is important to share such little-known rites and traditions with guests of International House, giving them a peek into the rich cultural “secrets” of New Orleans.
Two large palm fronds flank the lobby’s Camp Street entrance in a graceful arch, echoing the arched stained glass church window, now dramatically back-lit, that is a focal point of the lobby’s décor. The altar itself is a monumental three-tiered structure occupying an entire wall in the hotel lobby, and is draped with white taffeta with accents of green and red representing Mother Italy. It is dominated by a large statue of St. Joseph, surrounded by a plentitude of palm fronds and platters of wheat stalks, uncooked pasta, nuts, and, of course, fava beans. Breads artfully formed in the shape of a large cross, an alligator, and a wreath also adorn the altar, as well as a cake in the shape of a lamb, various pastries, and edible potted “topiaries” constructed of marzipan fruits, Italian fig cookies, and kumquats. Miniature edible still-lifes are enshrined on green pottery and majolica platters. Nestled in Spanish moss in a large basket on the altar is a variety of Easter eggs, chocolate, jelly beans and other candies.
Another notable feature of the altar is its floral decoration – this year, crafted entirely from tiny beads. The creation of beaded flowers is a centuries-old European practice, providing a lasting alternative decoration for church altars and tombs when fresh flowers were not available. The craft reached its height of popularity in the Victorian era, when it was brought to the United States from France. Even today, florists and designers find it a challenge to deck the altars of St. Joseph with fresh flowers whose appearance and symbolism are appropriate to the day. Linda Sampson, creative director of the International House St. Joseph’s Day altar, used to favor white Easter lilies and red amaryllis; recently, she was inspired by the ideal blossom to adorn the altar: the St. Joseph’s Lily. But given the commercial rarity of this dramatic red and white hybrid amaryllis whose trumpet-like blooms typically open in old New Orleans gardens every year around the feast of St. Joseph and are prized by gardeners across the south, she is reviving the age-old practice of beading her blossoms. Sampson will present large displays of the faux flowers, painstakingly crafted from the countless tiny beads she has collected, most of them vintage seed and bugle beads. A small statue of the Infant of Prague on the altar represents the Czech Republic, where many of the vintage beads originate.
This colorful edible landscape as well as the remarkable beaded flowers are all the work of Ms. Sampson, a local designer and stylist. The installation will be on display for several days surrounding the March 19th feast day, bringing a taste of this festive ritual to the lobby of International House – and a touch of the miraculous to all who enter.
