(poizd) to home of bride. This train is met with mock resistance, especially at gates of bride's house, and man has to pay a ransom, usually horilka and small amounts of money. After ritual resistance, man's marriage ceremony train is admitted, and after furr demands for payment from man, permitted to join bride's family at table. A more elaborate meal is served and bride's marriage ceremony cake (korovai) is cut and distributed, with guests offering gifts in exchange for horilka and pieces of cake. After meal, party, now bride and man toger, travels to his home for more food, drink and dancing. Often, this trip back includes ceremonial delivery of bride's marriage ceremony chest, called a sunduk or skrynia, and a ritual procession with a special pair of icons, draped in rushnyky. A final meal at man's house is occasion of cutting man's korovai and its distribution among guests, along with horilka, speeches, and more gift-giving. morning after, re is a ceremonial breakfast for bridal couple, sometimes accompanied by remnants of proofs of virginity.

solemn part of marriage ceremony is followed by a period of frivolity, variously called kury, tsyhani, gods, vechirky. It can take form of a period of general thievery and mischief, where marriage ceremony guests steal chickens and or small food stuffs throughout village, bring m to house of man, and prepare and consume m. Sometimes marriage ceremony guests "attack" all those who chose to return to normal life instead of continuing marriage ceremony celebration. y visit ir homes, take gates off of hinges, hide equipment, and commit or pranks. most popular form of post-marriage ceremony license is gods like one I witnessed in gryl, Smilians'kyi raion, Cherkas'ka oblast on August 23, 1998. We were driving down street when we noticed people in costume. At door of one of houses was a man dressed as a doctor. He would administer medical "aid" to anyone entering and collect a fee. "aid" consisted of taking guest's temperature with a broom handle "rmometer", "injecting" him or her with water, and n applying iodine/lipstick, thus marking all who had been subjected to entrance ritual.

Inside yard were many people, a few in costume, and many quite inebriated. A meal was served which we did not attend. We joined party several hours later. At this point y were walking down street. Several young men were pulling a decorated cart in which were seated parents of bride. man, we were told, was an orphan. If this had not been case, his parents, would have been first to suffer a cart ride. cart and men/horses were accompanied by a large procession, many of whom were in costume at this point. Some were dressed as gypsies, source of term gods. Several were cross-dressed. Several were dressed in rags or simply had on extravagant makeup. As this procession headed down street, cart was intentionally bounced up and down or pulled over roughest available terrain. Every-so-often, men/horses would "rear up" and need to be given a drink of water/horilka. When y encountered anyone on street who was not part of marriage ceremony party, one of costumed revelers would offer bystanders food and horilka and receive a small gift for bridal couple in return. procession headed down to river. cart was actually pulled down bank and into water, where it was overturned, dumping bride's parents into stream. Since water was shallow where cart was dumped, several men attacked couple, especially far, dousing him, trying to push him into deeper water, or trying to get him to fall so that he would get completely wet. dunking of parents was soon followed by general pushing and shoving, attempts to get people into water with as much of ir attire on as possible. Many people, children especially, simply disrobed to ir underwear and went swimming.