(1552), "A Gipsy Family", The
Cosmographia (facsimile of a woodcut), Basle , 1837 The traditional Romanis place a high value on the
extended family. Traditionally,
virginity is essential in unmarried women. However, Romanis in Eastern Europe are more likely to find it acceptable for girls to have sex before marriage compared to other Eastern Europeans. Both men and women usually marry young; there has been controversy in several countries over the Romani practice of
child marriage. Traditionally, as can be seen on paintings and photos, some Romani men wear shoulder-length hair and a mustache, as well as an earring. Romani women generally have long hair, and Xoraxane Romani women often dye it blonde with henna. , in the early 17th century Romani people have traditionally displayed a desire to live in alignment with the natural world. Cooking was often done outdoors over open fires, using hunted or foraged ingredients. Many Romanis in England historically lived and travelled around the English
countryside in
vardos, while others settled in urban areas. Today, the vast majority are settled and live in houses. Romanis were often portrayed outdoors in rural settings in historical European art and literature. Romani
social behavior has traditionally been regulated by Indian social customs ("
marime" or "marhime") which are still respected by most Roma (and by most older generations of
Sinti). This regulation affects many aspects of life and is applied to actions, people and things: parts of
the human body are considered impure, the
genital organs (because they produce emissions) and the rest of the lower body. Clothes for the lower body, as well as the clothes of
menstruating women, are washed separately. Items used for eating are also washed in a different place. Childbirth is considered impure and must occur outside the dwelling place. The mother is deemed to be impure for forty days after giving birth. Death is considered impure, and affects the whole family of the dead, who remain impure for a period of time. In contrast to the practice of
cremating the dead, Romani dead must be buried. Animals that are considered to have unclean habits are not eaten by the community. , c. 1607–1667 in Poland, by
Antoni Kozakiewicz, 1884 There are records of Romani women practicing
fortune-telling dating back centuries, using techniques such as
palm-reading. It often served as a means of income, and was typically passed from mother to daughter. In 1747 and later again in 1824, palm-reading was made illegal in
Britain, which led to it becoming a covert practice. Romani fortunetellers were traditionally known as
drabardi. While it was practiced as a trade aimed at non-Romani, it was virtually never practiced amongst Romani themselves. However, the notion that Romani people have
psychic powers and that Romani women are fortunetellers also functions as a harmful stereotype sometimes still present to this day. Romani people also earned money by working in the labour market as tinkers or sieve-makers. Romani people turned to
roofing and
blacktopping when metalworking had been superseded by factory-type technology.
Belonging and exclusion In Romani philosophy,
Romanipen (also
romanypen,
romanipe,
romanype,
romanimos,
romaimos,
romaniya) is the totality of the Romani spirit,
Romani culture,
Romani Law, being a Romani, a set of Romani strains. An ethnic Rom is considered a
gadjo in Romani society if they have no
Romanipen. Sometimes a non-Rom may be considered a Rom if they do have
Romanipen. Usually this is an adopted child. It has been hypothesized that this owes more to a
framework of culture than a simple adherence to historically received rules.
Religion in France, 1980s , Romania ,
Banovo Brdo, 1980s) Generally, religious Roma are either Christians or Muslims. Muslim Roma generally preserve enduring influences of
Ottoman culture, as shaped within former European provinces of the Ottoman Empire. During periods of conflict, particularly the
Ottoman wars in Europe, some Roma fled the Balkans, settling in parts of northern and western Europe. Muslim Roma partaking in these migrations, or their descendants, eventually converted to Christianity, as Islam did not endure among these populations. In parts of the Balkans, particularly in Bulgaria, some people of Romani descent identify as ethnic Turks, and over generations have adopted the
Turkish language. It is likely that the adherence to differing religions prevented families from engaging in intermarriage. In Eastern Europe, most Roma are
Orthodox Christians,
Muslims or
Catholics. In Bulgaria, Greece, Moldova, Romania and Serbia, the majority of Romani inhabitants are Orthodox Christians. In Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo, the majority are Muslims. In Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia, the majority are Catholics. In Western Europe, the majority of Romani inhabitants are Catholic or
Protestant. In
Crimea and
East Thrace, the majority of Romani inhabitants are Muslim. The majority of the diaspora in the United States adhere to some branch of Christianity. , Spain
Deities and saints Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla is recently considered a patron saint of the Roma in Catholicism.
Saint Sarah, or Sara e Kali, has also been venerated as a patron saint in her shrine at
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France. Since the turn of the 21st century,
Sara e Kali is understood to have been
Kali, an
Hindu deity brought from India by the refugee ancestors of the Roma; as the Roma became Christianized, she was absorbed in a syncretic way and venerated as a saint.
The Balkans/Southeast Europe For the Romani communities that have resided in Southeast Europe for numerous centuries, the following apply with regard to religious beliefs: • Albania – The majority of the Romani population in Albania is Muslim. • Bosnia and Herzegovina – The majority of the Romani population in Bosnia and Herzegovina is Muslim. ) with her father and dance partner
Eduardo Cansino, 1933 • Croatia – The majority of the Romani population in Croatia is Christian (mostly Catholic). After the
Second World War, a large number of Muslim Roma relocated to Croatia, the majority moving from Kosovo. Their language differs from those living in Međimurje and those who survived
Romani Holocaust. The country experienced an influx of Muslim Roma during the
Ottoman period in Hungary, who later converted to Catholicism. • Kosovo – The majority of the Romani population in Kosovo are Muslim and Speak Albanian. Some Roma in Kosovo speak Serbian and are Orthodox Christians. • Montenegro – The majority of the Romani population in Montenegro is Muslim. In
Dobruja, there is a small community that are Muslim and also speak Turkish.
Other regions ,
watercolour, 1877 In Ukraine and Russia, the Romani populations are Christian and Muslim. Their ancestors settled on the Crimean peninsula during the 17th and 18th centuries, but some migrated to Ukraine, southern Russia and the Povolzhie (along the Volga River). These communities are recognized for their staunch preservation of the Romani language and identity. In southern Spain, many Romanies are
Pentecostal, but this is a small minority that has emerged in contemporary times. The majority of the Romani people in France are Catholic or Protestant (mostly Pentecostal).
Music live in
Athens World Roma Festival in Prague, 2007 Romani music plays an important role in central and eastern European countries such as Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania, and the style and performance practices of Romani musicians have influenced European
classical composers such as
Franz Liszt and
Johannes Brahms. The
lăutari who perform at traditional Romanian weddings are virtually all Romani. Probably the most internationally prominent contemporary performers in the
lăutari tradition are
Taraful Haiducilor. Bulgaria's popular "wedding music", too, is almost exclusively performed by Romani musicians such as
Ivo Papasov, a virtuoso clarinetist closely associated with this genre and Bulgarian pop-folk singer
Azis. Many famous classical musicians, such as the
Hungarian pianist
Georges Cziffra, are Romani, as are many prominent performers of
manele.
Zdob și Zdub, one of the most prominent rock bands in Moldova, although not Romanies themselves, draw heavily on Romani music, as do
Spitalul de Urgență in Romania,
Shantel in Germany,
Goran Bregović in Serbia,
Darko Rundek in Croatia,
Beirut and
Gogol Bordello in the United States. Another tradition of Romani music is the genre of the Romani
brass band, with such notable practitioners as
Boban Marković of Serbia, and the brass
lăutari groups
Fanfare Ciocărlia and Fanfare din Cozmesti of Romania. The distinctive sound of Romani music has also strongly influenced
bolero,
jazz, and
flamenco (especially
cante jondo) in Spain. Dances such as the flamenco and bolero of Spain were influenced by the Roma.
Antonio Cansino blended Romani and Spanish flamenco and is credited with creating modern-day Spanish dance.
The Dancing Cansinos popularized flamenco and bolero dancing in the United States. Famous dancer and actress,
Rita Hayworth, is the granddaughter of Antonio Cansino. European-style
gypsy jazz ("jazz Manouche" or "Sinti jazz") is still widely practiced among the original creators (the Romanie People); one who acknowledged this artistic debt was guitarist
Django Reinhardt. Contemporary artists in this tradition known internationally include
Stochelo Rosenberg,
Biréli Lagrène,
Jimmy Rosenberg,
Paulus Schäfer and
Tchavolo Schmitt. The
Roma in Turkey have achieved musical acclaim from national and local audiences. Local performers usually perform for special holidays. Their music is usually performed on instruments such as the
darbuka,
gırnata and
cümbüş. ==Folklore==