While returning to my car I took a few photos of this flag in Hamrun (my birthplace) depicting the symbols for St Joseph.
Hamrun has two parishes one dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of Mary and the other to St Cajetan. Bishop Gaetano Pace Forno (in office 1858-1874) is mostly remembered in Ħamrun as the founder of the parish. The chosen patron saint of Ħamrun was to be Saint Cajetan after Bishop Pace Forno's wish and own patron saint. However St Joseph enjoyed a longer tradition of popular devotion in the area. In fact what is now the town of Hamrun which began to grow in the 19th century was a settlement known as Casale San Giuseppe. And thus we also got two parties for the saints! Reds and blues.
The other day I heard the sweet legend about why St Joseph is depicted in sacred art holding a staff from which flowers are blooming. It says that the high priest asked the many suitor of Mary to bring a branch to lay on the altar and the owner of the one that bloomed would be the chosen man. Joseph was one of the men who came and when he placed his branch on the altar, it immediately bloomed into flowers, thus revealing that Joseph was to take the Mary as his spouse.
Makes me smile.