Family Roots

In Abruzzo, the 24th of June was when people chose a second family. This tradition, called lu cumbare a fiur or the flower-friend comparatico, created a lifelong bond of mutual help, sealed with a bunch of wild flowers. These days, we often talk about going backwards, as if there is nowhere else to go. But here is an old idea that is worth keeping. On the night of San Giovanni, the 24th of June, Abruzzesi did more than gather walnuts and bottle the dew. They chose family. They were called compare and commare, the same words as godfather and godmother, but this was a different bond: no child, no church, just two equals who chose each other.     Read More