WWL-TV posted a list of St. Joseph’s Altars online; many altars are open this weekend and the biggest ones stretch into next week (though St. Joseph’s Day is officially March 19th).  The devotional altars, created annually to commemorate St. Joseph’s deliverance of Silicians from famine, appear in churches, schools, nursing homes, private homes, and other locations around the city, including the occasional bar, restaurant, business, or bowling alley (Rock’n’Bowl’s altar is open on March 19th from 2 pm to 7 pm).

The website of St. Joseph’s Church (1802 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans) has a nice summary of the altar tradition, which dates back to the Middle Ages.  Of course, if you can’t be in Louisiana or Sicily to participate in the tradition, you can visit the Virtual St. Joseph’s Altar online.