by Nina Feldman

Every day for a few weeks leading up to St. Joseph's Day on March 19, David Roe coordinates a daily bake at his home in New Orleans' St. Roch neighborhood. Volunteers drop in and help bake and decorate traditional Italian cookies, all of which will go on the St. Joseph's altar at St. Augustine church. Some of the best are the crumbly, fig-filled cucidatti, which David describes as an ancient predecessor to the Fig Newton.

These cookies are essential for a St. Joseph's altar, but they're just the beginning. Each St. Joseph altar is structured in three tiers. The top tier is dedicated to Joseph, the next tier for Mary, and the bottom tier is for Jesus. On each level is symbolism that coordinates with that member of the Holy Family. So on Mary's level you'll find images of the sacred heart; on Jesus' level there will be breads in the shapes of crosses; and Joseph's level might have his staff. There are fruits, elaborately shaped breads and more fig pastries — incredibly ornate cakes, with lace-like lattice designs, also called cucidatti.

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Source: http://www.pri.org/