The korovai is the traditional Ukrainian wedding cake. It's slightly sweet with a faint citrus taste. (It's similar in some aspects to Challah, a sweet bread that is popular on Jewish holidays.) The korovai is very similar to paska, an Ukrainian Easter bread with a few differences in design and decorations. The meanings behind the symbols differ slightly, depending on who you ask, but they circle around fertility, prosperity and long life.

The birds (doves) represent the bride and the groom. It could also refer to the couple building a nest together. It could also refer to the bride as flying from her home to make a new nest with her new husband. They also could represent wish-fulfillment. They also could represent is the special kind of love that a couple has for one another, and guests take these doves to get some of this type of love into their lives. In some areas, these birds are given to single people in the hopes that they too will marry and make a happy nest. One last note - while the birds are edible, they're better as decorations. If you must eat the birds, we suggest this alternative.

The braids represent a tight, closely knit family.

The periwinkle is an evergreen, and it represents eternal life. It could also represent eternal fertility. Also, in lieu of periwinkle, plant motifs made from dough may be used.

The tree of life indicate the building of a new life together.