Le Bomboniere: An Italian Wedding Tradition
- lisaksaunders1
- Jul 14
- 2 min read
Ciao Amici, I got married last Saturday! It was a beautiful and joyful ceremony and celebration. I truly could not imagine a more beautiful evening with loved ones.
We wanted to add a few Italian touches to our wedding, so as party favors, all of our guests received a bomboniera, a little bag full of candy-coated almonds, a tradition that started in Antiquity and is now ubiquitous at weddings in Italy.
In Ancient Rome, nuptial feasts were known to include a table of dried fruits and candied almonds as symbols of good luck. The almonds are called confetti, not at all synonymous with the bits of colorful paper we throw on New Year’s, that is called coriandolo. The word confetti comes from confezionato or “confectionary”
Centuries later, in the 1500s, the almonds were packaged and given as gifts from the groom to the bride on their wedding day. The tradition became fashionable in Italy when Vittorio Emanuele II, the prince of Naples and future king of Italy, gave bomboniere to guests at his wedding to Elena di Montenegro in 1896.
Nowadays, bomboniere can be quite elaborate and are often used in other major life events such as celebrations of births and anniversaries. For weddings, five almonds are given to symbolize health, wealth, happiness, family and a long life together.
Would you like to add Italian accents to your next celebration? From decorations to special menu items to party favors, let me help you Italianize your big event! If you want to see my wedding photos, stay tuned to my personal IG account @lisa_saunders_nyc or find me on Facebook!
Un abbraccio, Lisa |
Follow & Share |
IMMERSE ITALY LOCATION NEW YORK CITY / ONLINE
STAY IN TOUCH WITH ITALY |
Comments