# Burying St Joseph **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 18, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800 "2008-03-18T17:35:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/1 "2008-03-18T17:35:12Z")
My So and I are trying to sell our house. It’s been on the market for 4 months, and there has been very little interest. We’ve agreed to lower the asking cost, but it’s discouraging. Both my SO and I are educated as engineers, and while we were both raised going to church (Protestant), we have both drifted away from that. Last night, he asked me what I thought about burying a statue of St Joseph in the yard. [Snopes take](http://www.snopes.com/luck/stjoseph.asp). [Take your pick of kits.](http://www.catholicsupply.com/christmas/stjoe.html) If he really wants to do it, I’ll shake my head and wonder, but I’ll let him do it. We could both use some hope and this could be the equivalent of his lucky rabbits foot. Anyway, now the opinion part. Anyone got any personal stories about burying St Joseph to sell a house, and how it turned out? Did you believe it would work, try out of desperation, get bugged into it by friends or family? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/2 "2008-03-18T18:01:50Z")
Man, with how bad the housing market is, the entire core of the planet better be made up of St. Josephs. I’ve been a part of a Joe-burying at a buddy’s house. It sold, but the market was still robust. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/3 "2008-03-18T18:07:50Z")
The agent we signed to sell our house brought a St. Joseph statue with her. My father in law buried it according to the instructions. We got two full-price offers the first day the house was on the market. So one could choose to believe that the statue helped… … or one could believe that the agent underpriced our house by as much as $40,000. I choose to believe the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/4 "2008-03-18T18:18:56Z")
I’m Catholic. I buried St. Joseph in my yard, and I sold my house. Of course it went on the market in March and didn’t sell until November after a considerable price reduction. I could have buried a plastic Sponge Bob in my yard, and it still would’ve sold. Eventually. _moves to one side to avoid being struck by lightning_ I did it because it amused me. St. Joseph cost about $4.50. He was inexpensive and allowed me to feel that I had done all I could to make my house sell. I got out the bulb planter and put upside down in the flower bed, about 5" down. Then I lit a scented candle and had an open house. One couple showed up. They tracked mud all over the floors. They didn’t make an offer. A month later we found out we had to have the gas line replaced. They dug up my flower bed with a back-hoe. When your house finally sells, you’re supposed to dig up Joe and put him in a “place of honor” in your new house. I figure my statue is about 10’ down. Serves him right for taking so long. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/5 "2008-03-18T20:24:18Z")
Former Catholic and we’ve buried St. Joseph. Sold the house, perhaps not as quickly as we’d have liked. Didn’t work for my sister, who ended up buying the starter home of the people who wanted her house in order to get rid of her expensive house (she relocated) and then selling the starter home the next year (burying St. Joseph). But St. Joseph is cheap - a drop in the bucket compared to repainting, finishing the basement, changing carpet. What have you to loose? If you do it for amusement, you can even maintain your self-respect. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/6 "2008-03-18T20:49:48Z")
Staff Report: [Should you bury a statue of St. Joseph to help sell your house?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mstjoe.html) (20-Mar-2000) ---
**Author:** ![mmouse9799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mmouse9799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmouse9799)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/7 "2008-03-18T20:53:33Z")
My mother buried St. Joseph when her and my step-father were selling their house. She credits him with the selling. (not the lower price that allowed the woman with 6 kids to get a HUD or some such loan for it.) After the house sold, she dug him up and has him displayed in her new kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/8 "2008-03-18T21:26:12Z")
I’m trying to decide if I should require that my SO display the statue, if he decides to bury one. I kind of want to say that if he starts it, he has to follow through to the end. On the other hand, I’d have to look at it. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/9 "2008-03-18T21:30:15Z")
I believe that the bury statue/sell house thing actually dates back to Roman times. Each home had its own "household’ gods, and most people kept statues of these dieties. Burying one in the yard was done for good luck and protection (by that god). How this got translated into a Christian saint (St. Joseph) is probably lost to history. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/10 "2008-03-18T22:04:02Z")
Go ahead and bury St. Joe, but take a picture of him with Flat Stanley first. Get creative with the journal entry. It’s a pity the search function is down, or I’d post a link to the Flat Stanley thread. Maybe I’ll find it and come back later. ---
**Author:** ![IrreverentTone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@IrreverentTone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IrreverentTone)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/11 "2008-03-18T22:53:08Z")
I have one for you. Ten plus years ago my Mom was selling her house and we decided that she should bury St. Joseph. Since she felt compelled to display the statue in the house we went-a Joseph hunting. According to my sources at the time, the thing was supposed to portray Joseph as a carpenter and not Joseph as the father of Jesus. Unfortunately, she could only find a cheap-ass plastic St.JatC. Not being the religious statuary type, but also not wanting to be disrespectful of the saint’s potential new career in real estate, and mindful of her new home, she bought a slightly classier, five-inch, colored plastic Joseph and Jesus statue. Burying Jesus gave her a slight case of the cold grue, but needs must when the devil drives and all that. So she buried Joseph and Jesus about twelve inches down in the dirt out front. (Right side up and well Ziploc-ed.) House hits the market. Four days later she has a contract. Not wanting to forget about the dude out front, he is dug up that evening. A week later, splat goes the contract as the buyers had some undisclosed issues that killed their financing. Out to the dirt goes the statue, again. Six days later, boom, contract city. That time he stayed planted until everything except the final signatures were done. Joseph and Jesus currently stand in her curio cabinet, safe from dust, awaiting the next house sale. I wonder what a proven statue would go for on ebay? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/12 "2008-03-18T23:02:27Z")
No story here, but stopped by to send lucky thoughts your way! Hope you have a speedy sale. ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/13 "2008-03-18T23:27:47Z")
You can look at it as some of the New Deal programs during the depression: Your husband is taking a positive action over something you folks have no control over (Assuming you have done everything rational you can do sell it). So you have the psychological benefit of “taking action”. Could that lead to a renewed sense of purpose that makes for a brighter home and friendly people and little touches that push that one potential buyer over the edge? Mebbe. ---
**Author:** ![Pixilated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aeb1de/32.png) [@Pixilated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixilated)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/14 "2008-03-19T00:29:08Z")
I dont have a house to sell, but I want to build one within a reasonable budget - is there a statue that helps in that situation? ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/15 "2008-03-19T01:17:55Z")
I’ve never sold a house, and I’m not sure what you do with St. Joseph in a condo, but friends of mine buried St. Joe when they were trying to sell. My city, Pittsburgh, is pretty heavily Catholic, so I suspect it’s fairly common around here. My friends were amused that St. Joseph came with his own sacred plastic bad to keep the dirt off him. When their house sold, they duly unearthed him and put him in the place of honor where I saw him – the dashboard of their car. Rogue Anglican that I am, I can’t see the point in blackmailing a saint ;), but it seems to be a fun and harmless practice. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/16 "2008-03-19T01:45:14Z")
I purchased St. Joseph to bury when we sold our first house. It was an amused lark, cheap and easy to accomplish whenever all else seemed to be failing. So, after the place being on the market for 9 months, he was what might’ve done the trick. I don’t recall digging him up though, but it’s possible. And right now I need him again. We’re about to start the process all over. Good luck selling yours! ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/17 "2008-03-19T02:04:50Z")
[QUOTE=Solfy] I’m Catholic. I buried St. Joseph in my yard, and I sold my house. . [/QUOTE] I picked you randomly for this question : I’m an atheist, but were I still catholic, I would have found such a practice both superstitious and disrepectful, at best. Maybe I would have found more kosher to ask a saint to intercede by praying, possibly in front of a respecteful displayed statue (preferably in a church), and even that would have disturbed me (I wouldn’t have liked the concept of praying in order to get money quick, except in case of dire financial hardship). But burying a saint’s statue upside down so that it will magically attract people willing to spend a lot of money? My question here is adressed to actually catholic posters. Aren’t some of you disturbed by such a practice? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/18 "2008-03-19T02:15:07Z")
I have a friend whose family did this before selling their old house. The way she tells the story, they’d tried everything and their fortunes turned around almost immediately after they buried the statue. But she was about six when this happened and who knows how well anybody remembers it - it sounds like exactly the kind of family story that gets distorted over time. There’s a corollary to this story, by the way: supposedly the statue will disappear after you’ve sold the house. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/19 "2008-03-19T02:47:49Z")
I’ve never come across the St Joseph thing here before. Wouldn’t St Jude be more efficacious? ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800/20 "2008-03-19T03:36:22Z")
[QUOTE=Cunctator] I’ve never come across the St Joseph thing here before. Wouldn’t St Jude be more efficacious? [/QUOTE] I think that St. Joseph is the patron saint of homes & families or some such, and that’s why he’s the guy for selling your house. My boss was just telling me that he buried St. Joe when his house was on the market, and he’s Jewish! I guess he figured it couldn’t hurt. The house sold, but I don’t know how quickly. Tomorrow (March 19) might be a good day to do the burying if you are so inclined…it happens to be St. Joseph’s day. [QUOTE=clairobscur] I picked you randomly for this question : I’m an atheist, but were I still catholic, I would have found such a practice both superstitious and disrepectful, at best. Maybe I would have found more kosher to ask a saint to intercede by praying, possibly in front of a respecteful displayed statue (preferably in a church), and even that would have disturbed me (I wouldn’t have liked the concept of praying in order to get money quick, except in case of dire financial hardship). But burying a saint’s statue upside down so that it will magically attract people willing to spend a lot of money? My question here is adressed to actually catholic posters. Aren’t some of you disturbed by such a practice? [/QUOTE] Truth be told, a lot of Catholics are superstitious about such things, and although I don’t know the history of the practice, I’m sure it originated within Catholic culture. You are 100% correct that praying to the saint for intercession is the proper way to go about getting help from him or her. I don’t personally go for the superstitous stuff myself, but I don’t find it offensive. I think it’s something people do to try to feel as though they have some control over their situation. The fact that non-Catholics do it just goes to show how desperate people feel when they want to sell their house. They’ll try anything! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burying-st-joseph/441800.md?page=2)