Why Is St. Joseph’s Feast Day on March 19?

In the Western Church regional celebrations of the feast of St. Joseph seem to have begun around the 10th century. It was not enshrined into the calendar of the universal Church until the 16th century, when it was fixed on March 19. This date is believed to have been chosen due to a tradition that it was the date of St. Joseph’s death, but that is not certain.

The oldest celebration of his feast appears to be amongst the Coptic Christians, who celebrated it on July 20, which is also the date of his death in some apocryphal writings. Other Eastern Christians celebrated the feast of St. Joseph shortly after Christmas.