St. Joseph's Day: The Real Holiday of March

St. Patrick’s Day is such a rancid holiday. I don’t like the color green, I detest beer, and I really think it just gives everyone an excuse to be a total slob for the day. I think the Leprechaun Lap in Dupont Circle is cool like once when you’re nineteen, and then it should be retired. What people in DC, or in communities outside of the urban Northeast for that matter, forget is that there’s an even bigger holiday out there, so much sexier than St. Patrick and his clovers will ever be. It’s March 19^th today, and Ciao Bella, Happy St. Joseph’s Day to you! In Italian-American households everywhere (or those who have had the culture shoved down their throat since they were in Kindergarten like me), Nonas are baking zeppoles and everyone’s wearing their red attire, because today is the real celebration. Also revered by Spanish, Greek, and Portuguese Catholics as well, St. Joseph’s day is a holiday that promises a prosperous year when it comes to finances and health, and is especially celebrate in cities with high Italian populations (those, according to Wikipedia, are New York City; Utica, New York; Buffalo; Kansas City, MO; Chicago;^[8][11] Gloucester, Mass.; and Providence, Rhode Island). In DC like me and don’t have access to a five-star St. Joseph’s Day dinner at Cappriccio’s? Have some delicious Italian cuisine in Georgetown at Filomenna’s, Paper Moon (AKA the second home of my old landlord, but that’s a story for another day) or Ristorante Piccolo. Top off dinner with a delicious canole or zeppole for dessert and you’ll be feeling bellisimo in no time. Just, please, no green beer.