the wedding-ring is presented by a
young man of noble family. Speaking of the wedding-ring, it may be noted
that formerly it was carefully preserved on a table for many purposes,
as at Valledolino the whole dress is kept to be used some day as a
shroud.[18]

There are some parts of the country where the entrance to the church is
also a ceremony. An old tradition of Palermo, grafted on a popular tale,
informs us that in certain districts esteemed somewhat rude by the
inhabitants of the old capital the bride entered the church on
horseback, erect and proud.[19] In Salaparuta she enters by the lesser
door of the cathedral and departs by the principal one, afterward
passing beneath the belfry. In Palermo the newly-wedded pair on leaving
the church enter the same carriage, and followed by relatives and
friends take a drive about the city. It is on this occasion that they
throw to their neighbors confectionery, which they are also accustomed
to present personally. This custom is a Roman one, in spite of the fact
that candy has taken the place of the nuts which the bridegroom bestowed
on the children after the wedding. Outside of Palermo and other large
cities the confectionery is replaced by roasted chickpeas, alone or
mixed with beans, almonds, filberts, etc. On the other hand, relatives
and friends as the bride and groom go by throw after them not only
confectionery, but dried or roasted fruits, wheat and barley; which they
call a sign of abundance. In Milazzo the simple ceremony is turned into
a spectacle: when the pair come out of the church they are suddenly
received by a perfect hail of confectionery thrown by their nearest
relatives, from which they strive to escape by quickening their pace or
running away.[20] In Syracuse salt and spelt are thrown as a symbol of
wisdom, which recalls the _confarreatio_ of the Romans; in Assaro, salt
and wheat; nuts and wheat in Modicano; in Terrasini, nuts, chestnuts,
beans and sweetmeats of honey and flour; in Camporeale, wheat alone. In
Avola (province of Syracuse) one of the bride's most intimate lady
friends, upon the arrival of the pair, presents the bride with an
apronful of orange-leaves, and tossing them in her face exclaims,
congratulating her, "Contentment and sons!" and scatters orange-leaves
also over the sill where the bride must pass. Sometimes she breaks at
her feet two eggs--a truly Oriental symbol of fruitfulness. In the
county of Modica wine is sprinkled before the d