ABSTRACT
Getting married in Hungary is just as complicated as it is in most other places. Although the Family Law of 1952 did give the right to married women to use their maiden names, or to use both their married and maiden names, the practice of using names other than the husband's was cumbersome. In 1973, following a modification of Family Law, the woman became totally free to use whatever name she preferred. After the wedding, unlike in United States, young people usually do not go away immediately on a honeymoon. Instead, they are apt to wait for an inexpensive opening at a trade-union vacation home or to take trip when possible to West or to tourist spots in other socialist countries. Dowry in Hungary today ranges from minimal objects, such as sheets, pots, and pans, to luxuriously furnished apartments and houses. In the villages, the concept of a dowry is even more common; the amount that people give varies greatly.
