Wedding Blog - The meaning of 5 sugared almonds (2024)

Wedding Favours are traditional gifts which are givenout atthe wedding reception as a means of saying “thank you” from the bride and groom. They are a token of appreciation that serve as a memorable keepsake for friends and family members who have come together to celebrate the marriage of the happy couple. The Italian tradition of giving out wedding favours has gone on for centurieswhether it’s in a traditional Bomboniere style of tullenetsor a beautiful presentationwedding favourbox containing five sugared almonds.

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The almonds themselvesare coated in various colours in acandy shell and they are actually highly symbolic in more ways than one. It is said that the sweet yet ever so slightly bitter flavour that fresh almonds possess represents the taste of life and the sweet sugared coating symbolises the hope that the newly married couple will enjoy a life that is more sweet than bitter. In Italy, and indeed in many other parts of Europe, you will usually always find that there are precisely 5 almonds in each wedding favour.

The actual significance of there being five almonds is that the number five is indivisible which symbolises a strong bond or union between the newlywed couple that will never be broken or divided. In addition to this, each almond has its own specific individual meaning and these are Health, Happiness, Wealth, Fertility and Long Life.

So, the next time anybody asks you why there are always five almonds in a wedding favour, you should be able to tell them!

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UK Wedding Favours are proud to stock one of the largest selections of ready-made favours andDIY favour boxes that you will find anywhere online. We also have a beautiful choice of table and venue decorations, wedding guest books and wedding sweets.

Wedding Blog - The meaning of 5 sugared almonds (2024)

FAQs

Wedding Blog - The meaning of 5 sugared almonds? ›

The Number and the Colors

What does 5 sugared almonds wedding favors mean? ›

The 2,000-year-old traditional sugared almonds can still play an important part of your special day if you wish, in fact why not place jars around your venue and ask guests to take five sugared almonds each to signify health, wealth, happiness, fertility and longevity.

What do 5 almonds symbolize? ›

"Italians traditionally package these candied almonds in bunches of five to represent wishes of health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity," she says. For some, the five almonds also symbolize a number that can't be divided into two, just like the bond formed by a newly married couple.

What is the tradition of 5 almonds? ›

The perfect wedding bomboniere, which is Italian for wedding favor, includes five Jordan almonds to represent five wishes for the bride and groom. These are health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and a long life.

What is the significance of sugared almonds? ›

It's traditional that 5 sugared almonds are given to each wedding guest. One each to represent love, health, happiness, fertility, and a long life together. The total number of 5 almonds was also chosen as the number is indivisible symbolising a strong bond between the newly married couple.

What is the saying about sugared almonds? ›

Consider using the Jordan almond poem, which you can edit to fit your and your partner's wedding: "Five sugared almonds for each guest to eat/To remind us that life is both bitter and sweet. Five wishes for the new husband and wife/Health, wealth, happiness, children and a long life!"

What do the colors of sugared almonds mean? ›

It's not just the number of sugared almonds at celebrations that matter, as the colours also represent meaning. White for weddings, silver for twenty-fifth anniversaries, gold for fiftieth anniversaries, sky-blue or pink for christenings, red for graduations, green for engagements.

Why do we put almonds in wedding favors? ›

To remind us that life is both bitter and sweet. Health, wealth, happiness, children, and a long life! As such, the almonds are considered a symbol of good luck, and the tradition of gifting them as wedding favours spread across Europe.

What do almonds symbolism in a Greek wedding? ›

The hardness of the almond represents the endurance of marriage and the sweetness of the sugar symbolizes the sweetness of future life. The odd number of almond is indivisible, just as The Bride and The Groom shall remain undivided.

What does the Bible say about almonds? ›

The almond tree is mentioned in Ecclesiastes 12:5, where in the description of old age it says "the almond-tree shall blossom." The reference is probably to the white hair of age. An almond tree in full bloom upon a distant hillside has a certain likeness to a head of white hair.

What is the almond wedding tradition? ›

Jordan almonds are given out at weddings all over the world and have been for years. The bitterness of the almonds themselves represents the trials and tribulations of life, while the sugar coating represents the hope that the married couple will embark on their new life together with sweetness.

What is the religious meaning of almonds? ›

In the Christian tradition, the almond signifies divine favour and approval, and the purity of the Virgin. The nut is concealed within an outer skin, bringing the idea of the essence hidden within things of little apparent importance: for example, the divinity of Christ hidden within the mortal human form.

What is the Greek myth about almonds? ›

One version of the story tells how Phylllis began to pine and wither while waiting for her lover and finally died of sorrow. However, the gods wanted to save her and so turned her into an almond tree so that she could continue to wait for her lover.

What are sugared almonds at Greek weddings? ›

The five sugar coated almonds represent health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and long life. Sugared almonds are also very common in Greek weddings. Odd numbers are chosen, such as five because they can not be divided, which represents the unity of the bride and groom.

What is another name for sugared almonds? ›

In their most classic form of dragée and comfit, Jordan almonds, also known as koufeta, consist of almonds which are sugar panned in various pastel colors.

What are sugared almonds called in Italy? ›

Confetti: In Italian, "confetti" means "candied." However, when we speak of confetti in the context of a wedding, we are referring to sugar-coated almonds.

What is the etiquette for wedding favors? ›

If you are giving one favor per guest, present each gift at each place setting or as part of the table centerpiece. If you decide to give each couple a favor, label the wedding favors with the couple's or family's name and place them on a table so that guests can pick them up upon entering the reception.

What is the tradition of almond candy at weddings? ›

The combination of bitter almonds and sweet sugar are representations of a couple's life together, with the hopes that the newlywed's experiences will be more sweet than bitter. Jordan almonds are usually packaged in a small bag or piece of fabric, though some couples tuck them inside a small, decorative box.

What do wedding favours represent? ›

The very first wedding favours were known as 'bonbonnieres' and were gifts given to guests as they are today. The meaning behind a wedding favour is that it is a symbol of good luck.

How many wedding favours should you have? ›

Couples and families only get one…

You should also give one favor per person if it's DIY, like a bookmark.

References

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