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Cassandra Sutter
ENG 102
Elements of Culture
06 May 2015
Who are the Roma?

Roma, which in the Romani language means "people", originate from northern India. The
term, Roma, is the proper and more polite name for Gypsies. It is assumed that the Roma
originated from Egypt; however, they actually came from India. They first set off to Europe
somewhere between the tenth and eleventh century. The Romas then traveled through Persia and
Romania to the Byzantine Empire in the 1100s where they lived in tents and traded their
homemade goods. They were then trampled by the Byzantines and forced to move west where
they experienced a real Roma Roller-coaster. What is now Romania, welcomed them with
open arms, but this quickly turned into a disaster as the Roma were enslaved for five hundred
years. In the 1400s, the Roma made their way to Western Europe where they were welcomed
and shunned just within ten years. After much traveling, the Roma found themselves in Austria,
which was annexed by the German Nazis. Nazis began to experiment on and lock up the Roma,
which led to the killing of the estimated 500,000 to 1,500,000 Romanies. This is called the
Porajmos, the Romani Holocaust. Survivors had little help and those seeking justice were called
liars. After the war, the Roma became equal like everybody else. The Roma became organized,
establishing the International Roma Union and worked on health, employment, and education.

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Family plays a large role in the life of the Roma. This made the Roma very independent
of the surrounding society while they were travelling, but it did make them completely
dependent on their family or group. Unmarried children (a rarity even today) stayed with their
parents, and orphans were taken in by a different family. Elderly family members were looked
after and deeply respected, and they weren't excluded from the family life. Even the thought of
putting elderly family members in an old-folk's home was unthinkable, like sending the
children to a children's home. The ill were not left alone, even if hospitalized, and the dead were
kept at home until their funeral. The extended family looked after everyone socially,
psychologically, and economically. They made sure that everyone was taken care of, problems
were resolved together, and ensured a living for all. There were no generation gaps in the
Romani family, because they did everything together.
Males have no traditional costumes. Women among the Roma wear a traditional costume
composed of a full, ankle-length skirt tied on the left side at the waist, a loose, low-cut blouse, a
bolero vest, and an apron. Roma men like to dress well and often adopt a particular style. Roma
men wear expensive suits but seldom wear ties. For everyday wear, Roma dress casually. Hats
are popular among older Roma men, who wear them indoors as well as outdoors. Teenagers and
younger men adopt the local styles, such as baseball caps, sneakers, and windbreakers. Girls may
wear jeans, but if guests arrive, they change into a dress.
Some may think the beliefs and traditions with the Roma culture are different and/or
slightly strange. An example is a pregnant woman is considered unclean. She must not give birth
in the family home because it would then become impure. After birth, anything that the new
mother touches is later destroyed. This quarantine continues at least until the baptism of the

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baby. Baptisms take place in a church, catholic, orthodox or protestant, and after that, all the
people attending (sometimes up to 200-300) party, eat, drink and have fun. The child receives
expensive gifts from guests. From that moment onward, the god-parents take an important place
in the life of the child, as second parents, helping him in all difficult or important moments of his
or her life.
In traditional families, girls are expected to go in the villages with their mothers for
fortune-telling or to sell some items. At home, a girl is not only expected to help raise their
siblings, she also has to help her mother with household chores, cooking, washing clothes etc.
Traditionally, a boy is expected to help his father in his work, whether it be smith work or tinning
(emptying buckets, bringing water), or goes with his father to the market to sell handmade
objects or to buy, sell or exchange horses. This way, the boys (and the girls) learn the Roma
trades and professions. This is not to say that no Roma child goes to school. In fact, they all do,
and many have completed a university degree. However, in school they often encounter big
problems, be it due to racism, discrimination, or simply because they are still expected to help
out at home.
Romani typically marry young, often in their teens, and many marriages are arranged.
Weddings are very elaborate, involving very large and colorful dress for the bride and her many
attendants. Often, the girls in a group will compete to see who can have the largest, most
extravagant wedding dress. Some of this has been documented in the American show, My Big
Fat Gypsy Wedding. Though during the courtship phase, girls are encouraged to dress
provocatively, sex is something that is not had until after marriage.

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Whether it be for Roma or for non-Roma, every life ends. When someone dies in the
family, their close relatives buy the coffin and lay the dead in their best clothing inside it. Many
objects dear to the deceased are put with them in the coffin: watch, comb, cigarettes. But it is
forbidden to put matches together with the cigarettes for fear that the deceased may come back
and burn the house. For three days, the deceased and the coffin remain at home. For three days
and three nights, his family sits by his side. Candles were lit, wine or alcohol drunk, and stories
or tales were told. But candles and bottles have to come in odd numbers. On the fourth day, the
deceased is carried to the cemetery, always feet ahead. All the recipients in the house are then
emptied of water, for fear that the deceased soul, always thirsty, may come back at night to the
house.
Roma religious beliefs are rooted in Hinduism. Today, Romas often adopt the
predominant religion of the country where they are living and describe themselves as "many
stars scattered in the sight of God." Some Roma groups are Catholic, Muslim, Pentecostal,
Protestant, Anglican or Baptist.
Though the groups of Roma are varied, they all do speak one language. This language is
called Romanes, or the Romani language. Romanes is related to a northern Indian dialect, called
Punjab, and is spoken by about 5 to 6 million Roma people throughout Europe and the United
States.
Historically, the Romani didnt write books or attend school to learn, read, and write.
Instead, like the ancient Greeks, theyve long maintained an oral tradition where poets and
singers tell stories about the Romani and their culture. The Romani have a rich musical heritage.

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Their music has influenced jazz, bolero, flamenco music, and many classical composers
including Franz Liszt.
The Roma live according to their own rules. Traditionally, groups of extended families
formed kumpanias (bands) which traveled together in caravans. Each kumpania is headed by a
voivode (chieftain) who makes decisions after consultation with a council of elders and the
senior woman.
Roma groups often have occupations that are related to their nomadic heritage, such as
peddling, horse training and trading, metal work, pot mending, recycling and collection of scrap
metal, wood carving, storytelling, singing and music, dancing, and herbology. The Roma
economy has been built around self-employment and the perpetuation of old skills, plus the
acquisition of new skills to adapt to new technological developments.
In conclusion, the Roma culture is flourishing, which is making more people aware of
who they are and where they come from. Personally, I feel the culture is unique and intriguing
which makes the culture more than interesting to research.

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Works Cited
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5 June 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
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<http://romafacts.uni-graz.at/index.php/culture/introduction/roma-culture>.
Robinson, B.A. "Their Beliefs and Practices." The Religion and Culture of the Roma (a.k.a.
Gypsies).Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, 8 May 2007. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.religioustolerance.org/roma2.htm>.
Schlimmer, Theresa. "Roma Culture Study." Roma Culture Study. 18 Feb. 2013. Web. 26 Apr.
2015.
<http://www.academia.edu/8195089/Roma_Culture_Study>.
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<http://www.frua.org/countriesandculture/romany-gypsy-copy>.
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<http://rroma.org/traditions/family-traditions/>.
Unknown. "Countries and Their Cultures." Roma. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Norway-to-Russia/Roma.html>.