%D 2012 %O Bibliogr.: p. 37-39. ĂŠs a lĂĄbjegyzetekben ; ĂśsszefoglalĂĄs angol nyelven %S Szegedi vallĂĄsi nĂŠprajzi kĂśnyvtĂĄr %L acta70457 %T A csĂksomlyĂłi kegyszobor szerepe a gyimesi csĂĄngĂłk eljegyzĂŠsi rĂtusaiban %V 31 %A Balatonyi Judit %K MĹąvelĹdĂŠstĂśrtĂŠnet - szĂŠkely, CsĂĄngĂłk, SzĂŠkelyfĂśld - honismeret, Gyimes-vĂślgy - nĂŠprajz, NĂŠpi vallĂĄsossĂĄg, FolklĂłr %P 26-39 %J VallĂĄs, kĂśzĂśssĂŠg, identitĂĄs %X In the present paper I examine the organization of a special wedding ring ceremony of the CsĂĄngĂłs, held at the statue of the Virgin Mary in CsĂksomlyĂł (Romania). The rite is in practice since the 1970s, but in the middle of the 2000s its function has changed significantly. 10-20 years ago the CsĂĄngĂłs considered this rite as an abnormal strategy of deviant people - for instance of those living together without being married. In a sense, this ceremony was analogous to "official" church weddings, that is, the young couple exchanged rings and vows, but - as it has always been a kind of "makeshift" - without the presence of any priests or witnesses. Untilthe middle of the 1990s the main/most important/basic function of the practice was to enable deviant people to emerge from their marginal position and get a new social status. Nowadays this ceremony is usually referred as a kind of traditional betrothal; moreover the CsĂĄngĂłs attribute important religious meanings and improver-modernizing function to it - not to mention its economic aspects.