CONFETTI Art and Tradition (Spring in the air?) As we all know, in English the word “confetti” refers to those tiny bits of coloured paper which are thrown over the heads of newly married couples to wish them good luck as they depart for their honeymoon. In Italy today, the word used for this kind of “confetti” is “coriandoli”, but, a curious fact is that, in the 16th century the word “coriandoli” was also used in Italy to refer to what the Italians today call “confetti” (i.e. “sugared almonds”). It is also a fact that the word “confetti” in English is derived from the Italian word, dating back to the early nineteenth century. SULMONA IS THE UNDISPUTED HOME OF CONFETTI. ALREADY IN THE 15TH CENTURY THEY WERE BEING MADE VERY MUCH AS TODAY AND EVEN 100 YEARS BEFORE THERE IS EVIDENCE OF THEIR PRODUCTION AND THE EXISTENCE OF SPECIAL EXPENSIVELY MADE CONTAINERS FOR THE CONFETTI, THE EARLY VERSIONS OF THOSE BOXES OF SWEETS PRESENTED TO PEOPLE TODAY ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS SUCH AS WEDDINGS OR CHRISTENINGS AND KNOWN IN ITALY AS “BOMBONIERE”. CONFETTI IN FACT GO BACK TO ANCIENT ROME, THE NAME DERIVING FROM THE LATIN WORD CONFICERE MEANING “TO PREPARE” OR “TO PRODUCE”. THE 1ST CENTURY ROMAN FOOD WRITER GAVIO APICIO WROTE A COOK BOOK ENTITLED DE RE COQUINARIA (ABOUT COOKING) IN WHICH HE GAVE INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING THE KIND OF CONFETTI THAT THEN EXISTED, MADE FROM OF DRIED FRUIT COATED WITH HONEY. THE ART OF CONFETTI MAKING SULMONA’s very special presentation of its those fragrant confetti in numerous delightful forms and colours seems to have begun when the nuns of the convent of Saint Chiara started to tie confetti together with silk thread in the forms of religious symbols such as rosaries, ears of corn or bunches of grapes, that could then be presented to couples, especially from the nobility, when they came together in marriage or to important people at special events. There is evidence of this tradition from the 15th century onwards but it may well have been common before then. The tradition continued and became a specialist decorative art with flower forms, baskets and bouquets tied together not only with silk thread but also with other fine materials such as tulle and satin. The confetti with their bright colours and sweet scents decorate the outside of Sulmona’s shops and to the amazement and delight of passers-by even spill over on to Corso Ovidio itself. TRADITIONS AND BELIEFS The throwing of confetti (sugared almonds) towards newly married couples to wish them well is a well known tradition in Italy. Confetti and wedding days go together: the white coating stands for the purity of the bride, the two spheres of the almond linked at their edges represent the union between the man and woman, the sugar is for the couple to be happy and thrive. You can choose between offering the confetti loose or in one of a wide range of different containers. If the container called a “bomboniera” is chosen, by tradition it must always contains an odd number of confetti, since, in popular belief, an odd number represents the unusual and has magic power, and the fact that an odd number cannot be divided by two confirms the indissoluble nature of the marriage. In addition, an odd number is a good omen for the birth of a child, in the sense that when this happens two become three. The confetti are thus symbolic of the continuity of the family, of life itself.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 16:25:12 +0000
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