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Romani culture encompasses the regional cultures of the Romani people. These cultures have developed through complex histories of interaction with their surrounding populations, and have been influenced by their time spent under various reigns and empires, notably the Byzantine Empire and Ottoman Empire empires.
Romani people constitute the largest ethnic minority in Europe. They are believed to have resided in the Balkans since the 9th century, with their subsequent migration to other parts of the continent beginning in the 15th century. The Romani people in Europe may belong to various subgroups such as the Boyash, Kalderash, Kalé, Kaale, Lăutari, Lovari, Manouche, Xoraxane (term) Romanichal, Romanisael, Romungro, Ruska Roma, Sinti and Vlax. Despite a history of persecution in the continent, they have maintained their distinct culture. There is also a significant Romani population in the Americas, stemming from later migrations from Europe.
Romani people place emphasis on the importance of family and traditionally uphold strict moral values. Traditionally, it was custom among some Romani to maintain a lifestyle.
There are also legends surrounding the origins of the Roma. For example, some Roma believe that they are the descendants of musicians from India who were led by the Persian king Bahram V from India to Iran at A.D. 420–438, before wandering over the Silk Road to Europe.
Although the Romani people originated in South Asia, cultural elements retained from this early heritage are limited, with the exception of the language.
The Romani practice of child marriage in certain countries of southeastern Europe has attracted substantial controversy across the world. 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. A Romani patriarch, Florin Cioabă, ran afoul of Romanian authorities in late 2003 when he married off his youngest daughter, Ana-Maria, at the age of twelve, well below the legal marriageable age.
Bride kidnapping (not to be confused with the Romanian festive tradition of bride kidnapping) is believed to be a traditional part of Romani practice. Girls as young as twelve years old may be kidnapped for marriage to teenage boys. This practice has been reported in Ireland, England, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, and Slovakia. Bride kidnapping is thought to be a way to avoid a bride price, or else a means for a girl to marry a boy deemed unsuitable by her family. The tradition's normalisation of kidnapping puts young women at higher risk of becoming victims of human trafficking.
The practices of bride kidnapping and child marriage are not universally accepted throughout Romani culture. Some Romani women and men seek to eliminate such customs.
The Muslim Roma have adopted Islamic marital practices.
Romani mothers breastfeed their children for optimal health and increased immunity. They also view this as a gift from God, and a help to building healthy relationships between mothers and children.
Homosexuality, sodomy and oral sex are prohibited.
Childbirth is considered "impure" and must occur outside the dwelling place; the mother is considered "impure" for 40 days.
The Muslim Roma (Horahane) in the Balkans adopted the Islamic culture during the Ottoman Empire period, and so did the Ritual purity in Islam.
Romani people wash dishes with bleach.
For bathing, the Romani enter a spacious tub filled with water situated on the ground within the tent, where they stand and cleanse only the lower half of their bodies. The face and upper body are washed using water from a pan supported by a tripod, which is poured over the face and upper body with cupped hands, allowing the water to flow down into the tub. Romani men may wash their faces and upper bodies outside, sometimes shirtless. Each Romani family member bathes in order of age. One bar of soap is designated for the upper body, while another is used for the lower body.
Clothes worn by Romani women and Romani men, as well as those that cover the upper and lower body, are laundered and hung to dry separately. In certain Romani communities, the clothing of Romani elderly individuals is also washed and dried separately, both as a sign of respect and as a way to prevent potential defilement from contact with the garments of sexually active relatives.
(also , , , , , ) is a concept of [[Romani|Romani people]] philosophy encompassing totality of the Romani spirit, culture, law, being a Rom, and a set of Romani strains.
An ethnic Rom is considered to be a Gadjikane Roma in Romani society if the person has no Romanipen. Sometimes a Gadjo, usually an adoption child, may be considered to be a Rom if the person has Romanipen. As a concept, Romanipen has been the subject of interest to numerous academic observers. It has been hypothesized that it owes more to a framework of culture than simply an adherence to historically received rules.
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. This period also coincided with a perceived loss of authority invested in traditional leaders, the primary maintainers of Romanipen. Furthermore, the Roma who found themselves under Soviet Union 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. As a result, the whole concept of Romanipen became interpreted differently among various Roma groups. Muslim Roma, as one example, considered an uncircumcised man to be impure.
Ashkali and Balkan Egyptians like the Turkish Roma and Crimean Roma (2025). 9783969390719, LINCOM GmbH. ISBN 9783969390719 are not part of the Romani society due to the lack of Romanipen and the Romani language.
Though Romani ethnic groups have different sets of rules, Oral Romani cultures are most likely to adhere to the Romani code, although these communities are geographically spread.
The Romani Code is not written; Romani people keep it alive in oral tradition.
The kris is a traditional institution for upholding and enforcing the Romani Code.
The code can be summarised in pillars; the main pillar representing the polar ideas of baxt (, ) meaning 'honour' and ladž (or laʒ, , ) meaning 'shame'.
It is honourable, in some Romani cultures, to celebrate baxt by being generous and displaying your success to the public. The focus on generosity means sharing food is of great importance to some groups of Roma. Making lavish meals to share with other Romani visitors is commonplace and in some cases not having food to share is considered shameful.
Saint Sarah, or Kali Sara, has been revered as a patron saint in the same manner as the Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla, but a transition occurred in the 21st century, whereby Kali Sara is understood as an Indian deity brought by the refugee ancestors of the Romani people, thereby removing any Christian association. Saint Sarah is progressively being considered as "a Romani goddess, the Protectress of the Roma" and an "indisputable link with Mother India". The Roma pilgrimage for the dark-skinned Saint Sara in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is said to have possibly been the Egyptians servant of the three Marys. The day of the pilgrimage honouring Sarah is May 24; her statue is carried down to the sea on this day to re-enact her arrival in France.
Romani elders serve as spiritual leaders; there are no specific Christian Roma priests, churches, or Christian Roma scriptures, the exception being the Pentecostal Roma, most in Western society.
Within the United Kingdom, a large proportion of British Roma (40% by some estimates) are members of Light and Life, a Charismatic Pentecostalism Christian movement.
In the Balkans, the Roma of North Macedonia and southern Serbia, including the disputed territory of Kosovo, have been particularly active in Islamic mystical brotherhoods (Sufism)—Muslim Romani migrants to Western Europe and America have brought these traditions with them. It is a custom among some Muslim Roma in the Western Balkans that the prepuce be buried after Sunet Bijav (see religious male circumcision ceremony).
Most Eastern European Roma are Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Muslim. Those in Western Europe and the United States are mostly Roman Catholic or Protestant. In southern Spain, many Roma are Pentecostalism, but this is a small minority that has emerged in contemporary times. In Turkey, the Romani people are Muslim. The majority of the diaspora in Latin America are Christian.
Roma also believed in the concept of Kintala, which is almost identical to Karma except one's actions in life only influence the reincarnation; the bad happenings are not caused by sins of a previous life, rather by bad Dji and unclean spirits (the Necuxa).
The concept of Dji is one's spiritual energy which must be kept in balance by following Marime and other spiritual laws. The better a person one is and the more balanced their Dji is, the better life they will reincarnate into.Weyrauch, Walter Otto (2001), Gypsy Law: Romani Legal Traditions and Culture, University of California Press, p. 210, ISBN 978-0-520-22186-4, Rom have preserved and modified Indian caste system
Some also worshipped the spirits of their ancestors, while the Christian Roma were completely opposed to anything that messes with the dead.
Roma believed in a god who is one with the universe and manifests themselves in the forms of many deities:
The Romani groups followed plenty of other gods and practiced many variation of this faith system, there is no one name for a god or one rule as each group had a unique variation.
The misbelief that Romani people have psychic powers (e.g. fortune-telling) is a stereotype, sometimes still present to this day, and some romantics attribute the invention of the Tarot cards to them.
Belly dance is performed by the Romani people in Turkey.
The lăutari who perform at traditional Romanian weddings are virtually all Roma, although their music draws heavily from a vast variety of ethnic traditions—for example Romanian, Turkish and Slavic—as well as Romani traditions. Probably the most internationally prominent contemporary performer in the lăutari tradition is Taraful Haiducilor. 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.
Flamenco music and dance came from the Roma in Spain; the distinctive sound of Romani music has also strongly influenced bolero, jazz, and Cante Jondo in Europe. European-style Gypsy jazz is still widely practised among the original creators (the Romani People); one who acknowledged this artistic debt was Django Reinhardt.
Belly dancing is a form of dance invented by The Domari of Egypt or Ghawazi, however it was originally seen as "ghetto" and "low class" until the native Egyptians and the Europeans saw and emulated it. Nowadays there are very few original Ghawazi dancers due to the exile and expulsions and discrimination which caused many to go out of work and emigrate.Egypt: Third Edition. p. 101.
Romani Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25 and Easter in either April or May. Romani adults may also fast on these holidays and may eat special foods for these holidays.
Romani people in Serbia celebrate Bibi and Bibijako Djive.
World Day of Romani Language is celebrated every November 5.
The Museum of Romani Culture is located in Brno in the Czech Republic.
Horse meat is forbidden by Christian Roma. Any Christian Roma who eats horse meat, are punished and banished from their tribe. Cat meat and dog meat are also forbidden and are considered unclean.
Christian Romani tea is similar to Russian tea and stuffed cabbage is popular among Roma. Berries, vegetables, mushrooms, hedgehog, game and fowl are favored by Roma.
Muslim Roma ( Xoraxane) in the Balkans are believed to have adopted Islam during the Ottoman period.
There is a Romani restaurant called Romani Kafenava in Maribor, Slovenia. Rabbit stew is a Romani favorite. Other Romani dishes are fried bread dishes, including xaritsa (fried cornbread), pufe (fried wheat bread) and bogacha (baked bread). A Romani dessert is pirogo, a sweet noodle casserole similar to Jewish kugel made with raisins, cream cheese, and butter.
are both eaten and given high status by the Roma.
Romani people suffer from poorer mental health. Relatively high rates of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression and anxiety, and suicide are found among the Roma. This is consequently caused by the fact they have been ostracized by other ethnic groups for much of their existence, living in poor living conditions among their comparably wealthier European and American counterparts, a lack of awareness and education on mental health, and a restricted access to proper healthcare.
Romani people have lower access to food, resulting in malnutrition and stunted growth, despite living in developed countries. Romani people are also more likely to partake in risky behaviours, including drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and tobacco smoking. In Europe and the Americas, both Roma men and women have significantly higher smoking rates than respective populations, and are more likely to die from preventable smoking-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and many Cancer.Nicotine & Tobacco Research Vol. 18, No. 12 (December 2016), pp. 2260-2267 (8 pages). Oxford University Press. Alcohol consumption rate is also high among the Roma.
In most traditional Romani communities, Romani women tend to wear gold bracelets and gold necklaces and headscarves. Traditionally, in southeastern Europe, the headscarves were sometimes decorated with golden coins.
Romani people in Slovakia believe in the evil eye.
In England, 60% of all pupils reached the expected standard in all of English reading, writing and mathematics. Of children identified as Gypsy/Roma, 18% met the expected standard. For those identified as Travellers of Irish Heritage, the figure was 21%. As is common across a range of education indicators, girls outperformed boys. 19% of Gypsy/ Roma girls, and 22% of Traveller of Irish Heritage girls reached the expected standard compared to 16% of Gypsy/ Roma boys, and 19% of Traveller of Irish Heritage boys. Text was copied from this source, which is available under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. UK Parliament. 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 figure for pupils identified Gypsy/Roma was lower, at 16%. Nationally, 65% of state-funded school pupils attained these qualifications. 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. In the summer 2023 DfE data, there were around 1,400 Gypsy/ Roma pupils and 190 Travellers of Irish Heritage at the end of key stage four, out of around 607,000 pupils overall.
For Bulgaria in 2011 the share of Romani with university degree reached 0.3%, while 6.9% have secondary education; the same share was 22.8%/47.6% for Bulgarians.
There are still tensions between Roma and the majority population around them. Common complaints are that Roma theft and live off social welfare and residents often reject Romani encampments. This has led to Roma being described as "perhaps the most hated minority in Europe." In the UK, nomads (referring to both Irish Travellers and Roma) became a 2005 general election issue, with Michael Howard, the then-leader of the Conservative Party promising to review the Human Rights Act 1998. 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 land 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.
Travellers argued in response that thousands of retrospective planning permissions are granted in Britain in cases involving non-Romani applicants each year and that statistics showed that 90% of planning applications by Roma and travellers were initially refused by local councils, compared with a national average of 20% for other applicants, potentially disproving claims of preferential treatment favouring Roma. They also argued that the root of the problem was that many traditional stopping-places had been barricaded off and that legislation passed by the previous Conservative government had effectively criminalised their communities by removing local authorities' responsibility to provide sites, thus leaving the travellers with no option but to purchase unregistered new sites themselves.
Law enforcement agencies in the United States hold regular conferences on the Roma and similar nomadic groups.
In Denmark, there was much controversy when the city of Helsingør decided to put all Romani students in special classes in its public schools. The classes were later abandoned after it was determined that they were discriminatory and the Romani students were put back in regular classes.
Romani people have traditionally avoided gadjo because non-Romani are believed to be polluting and defile the Romani world.
The Greek Doctor A. G. Paspati made the statement in his Book from 1860, that Turks often married Roma Woman, and the Rumelian Romani dialect is nearly lost by the Muslim Turkish Roma, who speak entirely Turkish.
Ernest Gilliat-Smith explained in 1915 that this Turkish Roma in Bulgaria cannot speak Romani language, and compare them with very poor Turks rather than Romani people. 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. (2025). 9783506705204 ISBN 9783506705204
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%. In Hungary, 44% of Romani children are in special schools, while 74% of men and 83% of women are unemployed. In Slovakia, Romani children are 28 times more likely to be sent to a special school than non-Roma, while Romani unemployment stands at 80%.
In 2004, Livia Jaroka and Viktória Mohácsi of Hungary became the two current Romani Members of the European Parliament. The first Romani MEP was Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia of Spain.
Seven former Communist Central European and Southeastern European states launched the Decade of Roma Inclusion initiative in 2005 to improve the socioeconomic conditions and status of the Romani minority.
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