L'Italo-Americano

ed to Italy alone: in fact, it has also become popular in o t h e r c o u n t r i e s s u c h a s Greece, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, and Australia. Today, the bomboniera has evolved to include a wide range of different designs and styles, from classic and elegant to modern and whimsical; some are personalized with the n a m e s o f t h e b r i d e a n d g r o o m o r t h e d a t e o f t h e event, while others feature intricate designs and decora- tions. Regardless of their Nowadays, bomboniere are an integral part of Italian cul- ture, and their significance is still tied to sugared almonds, which are considered a sym- bol of good luck and prosper- ity. Whether made of porce- lain, glass, or other materials, these boxes are still given as gifts at weddings, baptisms, first Holy Communions, and c o n f i r m a t i o n s t o t h a n k guests for their presence and to commemorate the occa- sion. B u t t h e t r a d i t i o n o f the bomboniera is not limit- style, the underlying mean- i n g o f the bomboniera remains the same: a symbol of good luck, prosperity, and gratitude, and a keepsake to remember a moment of celebration and happiness. O f c o u r s e , i f w e t a l k about bomboniere, we have t o t a l k a b o u t s u g a r e d a l m o n d s . K n o w n as confetti in the Belpaese, the habit of gifting almonds on special occasions appar- ently dates back to Roman times. But why are these nuts specifically used and what's their true meaning in this context? Well, as said, the use of almonds as propitiatory gift dates back to ancient times, when the Romans would offer them as a symbol of fer- t i l i t y a n d p r o s p e r i t y . Almonds were believed to have special properties that could bring good luck and ward off evil spirits, making them the perfect choice for wedding and baptismal gifts. In Italy, the habit of using sugared almonds in bom- boniere is as old as bom- boniere themselves, as we c a n t r a c e i t b a c k t o t h e Renaissance, too. The five sugared almonds typically included in each gift box rep- resent the five things people w a n t f o r t h e n e w l y w e d s : health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and long life. Others, however, say they symbolize the five fingers of the hand, which we use to make the s i g n o f t h e C r o s s d u r i n g Catholic weddings and bap- tisms. There is more, though, b e c a u s e i t ' s n o t o n l y t h e almonds to be symbolic, but also their hard, sugary shell: some believe the sweet and crunchy cover of confetti por- t r a y s t h e c h a l l e n g e s a n d hardships that the newly- weds will face in their mar- ried life, while the almond inside represents the rewards coming once those hardships are faced together. And, while traditional con- fetti made with almonds are still people's favorite, today you can find many other vari- eties, with some having col- orful shells and other filled with fruit-flavored chocolate. r i a l s s u c h a s m o t h e r - o f - pearl, painted ivory, enamel, and gold. But it was not until 1896 that the bomboniera became t h e g i f t b r i d e a n d g r o o m make to their guests, and it was all thanks to the wed- ding of Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Naples, who would later become the King of Italy, to his queen, Elena of Montenegro. The guests o f t h i s g r a n d e v e n t received bomboniere as pre- sents, inaugurating the mod- e r n t r a d i t i o n w e k n o w . THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS ADVICE LANGUAGE I f you grew up in an Italian home, you def- initely had a bunch of them hidden in some d r a w e r o r , i f t h e y w e r e p a r t i c u l a r l y p r e t t y , making a good display of themselves somewhere in the sitting room. Yes, I'm talking about the bomboniera. T h i s s m a l l , d e c o r a t i v e object — it can be a box, but also a simple tulle sachet attached to any type of orna- mental trinket — containing sugared almonds, (known as "confetti" in Italy), is typical- ly given as a gift to guests at w e d d i n g s , b a p t i s m s , a n d other special occasions. But where did this tradition come from, and how did it become such an integral part of Ital- ian culture? The word "bomboniera" comes from the French bom- bonnière, which in the 18th century referred to a precious box used to keep those times' most popular candy, the bon- bon. These boxes were par- t i c u l a r l y p o p u l a r a m o n g noblewomen at the French court, who would carry them as a status symbol and as a way to indulge in a sweet treat between a gossip ses- sion about the king and the other. However, the tradition of the bomboniera was born m u c h e a r l i e r , a n d n o t i n France. Three centuries earli- er in Italy, it was already common for future brides and grooms and their fami- lies to exchange jewel-like boxes filled with sugared almonds. But there was more to the tradition, back then, because the groom would also give his bride a coppa amatoria — which we could translate as "lovers' cup" — a ceramic dish containing sug- ared almonds, as a symbol of fertility and prosperity for their future life together. The habit then crossed the Alps and reached the court of Louis XIV of France, where the practice of giving elabo- rately crafted bomboniere as a sign of gratitude became popular. These boxes were often made of precious mate- FRANCESCA BEZZONE Bomboniere usually contain sugar-coated almonds, called "confetti" in Italian (Photo: Elitravo/Dreamstime) What do you know about the Italian tradition of "bomboniere"? Traditional "bomboniere" come in many shapes and colors (Photo: Elitravo/Dreamstime)

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