Rite of "Comparatico" in Castelbuono
The rite of "comparatico and commaratico" allows for the establishment of a strong bond of friendship between two men or women through the intercession of St. John.
In Sicily there are two types of cronies: that of "coppula" or "birritta", that is baptism, and that "d’aneddu", that is marriage. In Castelbuono there is a third: u "cumpari i San Juvann", the most felt bond, a bond that binds to life and with an indissoluble force that was sealed on the day of the feast of San Giovanni.
The rite provided for , for men, to give each other a red carnation by reciting the following words: "cummar e cumpar cù piricudddu quann manciu un vogghiu a nuddu a finuta di manciar vogghiu all me cumpari pil d'or pil d'argent cumpar ora e pi sempr cumpar ì San Giuvann cumpar all l'ann ". Someone adds: "’ nzocch aviim ni spartiim chiddu c’anca l'attruvam ". Then the two men hugged and ate the beans together. From that moment the companion becomes a real family member to whom the honors of these are bestowed if not greater.
For women there were different rites to make a commaratico: l drinking a sip of salt water from the same glass proclaiming himself cummar; eat a fruit while reciting a Creed; fish out a ring in salt water. The most common ritual was that of the hair: two women took their own hair and intertwined it with that of the other woman together making them confuse, then they threw them away saying: "pilu piliddu vattinni o mari greet me a ma cummari greetings me a cchiù bedda cu the eye and the zagaredda ".
