Romani culture
[5][6] The Romani people in Europe belong to various sub-ethnic groups such as the Boyash, Kalderash, Kalé, Kaale, Lăutari, Lovari, Manouche, Romanichal, Romanisael, Romungro, Ruska, Sinti and Vlax.
[21] School, church, Mosques, circumcision ceremonies, fiancée and weddings, and other events are also popular environments for finding a prospective spouse.
With the emergence of both social media such as Facebook and mobile phones, and the advancing education of women, many traditional mores and conservative views have become less rigid.
In 2003, one of the many self-styled Romani "kings", Ilie Tortică, prohibited marriage before the parties were of legal age in their country of residence.
They are expected to participate and give presents in the most significant events of the godchild's life, including the first day of school and their wedding.
[39] Significant changes in Romani culture following the Second World War have been attributed to the suspension of these social norms, as strict rules relating to food and contact with certain classes of people broke down.
[40] Furthermore, the Roma who found themselves under Soviet control during the war, while deported to the east of the Urals and often persecuted, were generally left alone to follow their orthodox practices and thus preserved strict interpretations of Romanipen.
However, the Roma who lived in other countries of eastern Europe, in the face of widespread discrimination and society's attempts at forced assimilation, often had to compromise their strict interpretation of the customs to survive.
Adherence to this practice means that for the Romani who worship a Christian God, prayer is conducted through the Virgin Mary, or her mother, Saint Anne.
[51] Within the United Kingdom, a large proportion of British Roma (40% by some estimates) are members of Light and Life, a Charismatic Pentecostal Christian movement.
Formally, Islam is the religion that these communities align themselves with, and the people are recognized for their staunch preservation of the Romani language and identity.
[73] In Turkey, the Romani people are Muslim and the males are circumcised, while the majority of Roma in Latin America have maintained their European religions, with most following Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
Romani women perform the sapera dance with a cobra to awaken their reptilian powers, mantras and to curse menacing victims forever.
Zdob şi Zdub, one of the most prominent rock bands in Moldova, although not Roma themselves, draw heavily on Romani music, as do Spitalul de Urgenţă in Romania.
European-style Gypsy jazz is still widely practised among the original creators (the Romani People); one who acknowledged this artistic debt was Django Reinhardt.
It was designed by the General Union of the Roma of Romania in 1933 and received official recognition at the inaugural World Romani Congress, which took place in London, United Kingdom, in 1971.
A Romani dessert is pirogo, a sweet noodle casserole similar to Jewish kugel made with raisins, cream cheese, and butter.
[112] Romani individuals are known for their sociable nature and often embrace spontaneous visits from relatives, neighbors, or friends as opportunities for social interaction.
Generosity, particularly in the form of gift-giving, is regarded as a commendable trait; family members are willing to support one another and friends with financial assistance or other resources, such as food, clothing, or transportation via car or horse when necessary.
The youth actively seek the counsel of elders for conflict resolution or guidance, demonstrating their respect by serving them first, allowing them to speak before others, and granting them the final word in serious discussions.
[118] As many Roma are barred from receiving adequate healthcare as a result of discrimination in many countries in Europe, the general health status among Romani people is considerably poorer than non-Romani populations.
[122] Romani people have lower access to food, resulting in malnutrition and stunted growth, despite living in developed countries.
[130] A stereotype that Romani people have psychic powers (e.g. fortune-teller) is still sometimes present, and some romantics attribute the invention of the Tarot cards to them.
[139] 31% of state-funded school pupils identified as Travellers of Irish Heritage attained GCSEs in English and maths at grade 4 or above – which is described as a ‘standard pass’.
The total number of pupils identified as Traveller of Irish heritage and Gypsy/ Roma at the end of the secondary phase, key stage four, is very small.
[145] This law, which absorbs the European Convention on Human Rights into UK primary legislation, is seen by some to permit the granting of retrospective planning permission for Romani communities.
Severe population pressures and the paucity of greenfield sites have led to travellers purchasing land and setting up residential settlements almost overnight, thus subverting the planning restrictions imposed on other members of the community.
The French orientalist Henri Bourgeois referred to the Turkish Roma as Pseudo Chingiane, especially the newspaper Laço who was published in 1910 by Emin Resa.
Only a small fraction of Romani children graduate from secondary schools, though numerous official efforts have been made, past and present, to compel their attendance.
[35] In the Czech Republic, 75% of Romani children are educated in schools for people with learning difficulties and 70% are unemployed, compared with a national rate of 9%.
