Marco + 1, Giulia, Francesca + 1. And so on with a series of other names and counts. It happens to everyone to make a list of guests for the organization of a party or an event, and obviously also to be part of it. With or without “+ 1”. This almost always depends on the sentimental situation.

The extension of the invitation, in fact, is often still linked to the marital status of the guest, or at least to his emotional state understood in the more traditional sense of the term. In short: if you have a partner you can bring him, otherwise go alone. This happens in most cases, especially for important and formal events such as a wedding – and other religious ceremonies followed by receptions – but also for birthdays and anniversaries. The emotional sphere of singles – which, spoiler, exists even if they don’t have a partner – is not considered. Which, in a friendly context, easily fades into the background, but in more foreign situations it borders on rudeness.

A few years ago I was invited to a wedding where I didn’t know anyone apart from the bride and groom. As a single person, my participation did not include any chaperone and I first found myself wandering among the buffet tables, looking more for some chat than for marinated salmon, then pretending to get along very well with the small group of strangers I ended up at the table with. A friend alongside to share the evening with would certainly have made the difference, as her boyfriend did for the groom’s ex-high school classmate – another alien in that party of friends and relatives. But she had a socially recognized status, unlike me.

Single-person families, a reality to deal with

The point is precisely this. Despite the obvious change we are witnessing – and which most of us, in addition to observing, live – society continues to be based on the couple, with all the relevant conventions. In many ways, even today, you exist if there are formally two of you. From Christmas dinner at an aunt’s house – where the partner is family, while a friend will always be just a guest, even if it represents an important emotional point of reference for whoever brings it – to the name on the participation in a wedding, up to the tax breaks, which in Italy have always favored couples and families more, making the cost of living alone often unsustainable.

Yet, with Istat data in hand, single-person households increased by 8 percentage points in 2024. A trend destined to grow considering the +30% compared to 2009, so much so that we are talking about “single-person families”, which also include separated people and people who have lost their partner. A reality – like it or not – that we inevitably have to deal with, starting from a ‘simple’ list of invitations.