Dozens of volunteers spend hours baking breads and cookies and preparing pasta milanese in preparation for St. Joseph’s Day (March 19) in the New Orleans area. St. Joseph Day altars, which pay tribute to the St. Joseph the patron saint of Sicily, were built at more than 75 churches, schools, bars, restaurants, hotels and grocery stores throughout the greater New Orleans area.

Throughout the day, the faithful and the curious have lined up to view the altar laden with intricately decorated cakes that serve as memorials to deceased family and friends, the golden brown breads woven and shaped to look like carpenter’s tools and the thousands and thousands of cookies.