March 19this St. Joseph's Day! Seven days before the Feast of the Annunciation, which commemorates the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary announcing that she would give birth to the Messiah, we celebrate the foster-father of Jesus Christ. It has the rank of a solemnity in the Roman Catholic Church; Catholics who follow the Missal of 1962 celebrate it as a first class feast.
Who was Joseph? Born in Bethlehem and working as a carpenter, he became betrothed to Mary, a consecrated Virgin, in order to serve as her protector.
Traditionally, this is a day of abstinence, which is why Catholic tables will often be found filled with meatless dishes – though there are a variety of ways the day is celebrated.
One other interesting note? St. Joseph's Day is also the day when the swallows are traditionally believed to return to Mission San Juan Capistranoafter having flown south for the winter. When the Swallows come back to Capistrano, they are welcomed with the ringing of old church bells.