This past weekend, like many, I was glued to my television to take in the royal nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. This real-life fairytale wedding captured my attention from the moment the engagement was announced. As a hopeless romantic (and a huge fan of this particular member of the royal family) I relished in all the regal details including the ones that might seem the most minute, like for example the fact that the couple had their confetti flown in from Sulmona Italy.
While these celebratory confections might not resonate with everyone, they certainly do with me. Confetti or Jordan Almonds as they are also known, have been a ceremonial staple for every special occasion in my life. Confetti are typically handed out as part of the bomboniera (party favor) as a symbolic and commemorative gift with the occasion usually dictating their hue. Blue and pink for baptism, red for graduation and confirmation, green for engagement, white for wedding, communion and confirmation, silver for 25th anniversary and gold for 50th anniversary.
Confetti are almonds with a hard sugar coating whose history date back to the Romans who used them to celebrate unions and births. The first confetti were made with honey and later adopted the thin layers of sugar with the introduction of the sugarcane in the 15th Century. Fresh almonds have a bittersweet taste which represents life, and the sugar coating is added with the hope that married life will be more sweet than bitter. Newlyweds were often showered with the candied almonds and well-wishes. The tradition has since evolved, confetti of the paper kind is tossed at the bride and groom and the almonds are either wrapped in tulle, boxed, or fashioned into silk or organza flowers and handed out. The one element that remains the same however is the number of almonds that is gifted, always an odd number which is considered lucky because odd numbers are indivisible and should therefore augur that the newlyweds share everything and remain undivided. The number typically handed out is five to represent health, wealth, fertility, happiness and longevity.
The most renowned confetti are the ones produced in the town of Sulmona in Abruzzo. It is here where you will find the centuries old and famed Pelino factory. Since 1783 the Pelino family has been creating these incomparable confections in the traditional method, made through a four-day process. The artisan production begins with choosing the finest Sicilian almonds (from Avola, in the province of Siracusa) which are peeled and then covered in sugar without the addition of any starch that would affect their delicate flavor and make them heavier; then they rest in order to dry. It is a labour of love that requires much attention to detail which is perhaps why the Pelino confetti are the confection of choice for the Royals (they were also used to celebrate the weddings of Charles and Diana and William and Kate).
The centuries old tradition of including confetti as part of a banquet or significant occasion has been a long-standing one for me as well, most recently the delectable sugared almonds formed part of the sweet table at my daughters’ communion, and I can proudly say that mine too were from Sulmona. Auguri e buon appetito!
