How are the gypsy weddings?

Gypsies are a cheerful people, whose life is shrouded in their traditions and rituals. Many people are interested in how Gypsy weddings take place, as this celebration attracts with its peculiarities and colorful. Such an event has an interesting history and rules that are binding.

Gypsies often woo their children when they are babies. As a rule, such a tradition is characteristic of friendly families who want to intermarry. It is completely unnecessary for the bride to know that she is being wooed, since at that moment she is a child.

During the matchmaking, the relatives of the future husband go to the house of the family of the future bride and take two key elements with them.

• A bottle of wine, decorated with expensive coins, or a sprig, on which there are handkerchiefs with banknotes.
• Wedding loaf. It is a cake covered with a handkerchief. Relatives of the future husband should bake it themselves.

If all the attributes brought will be placed on the table, it means that the parents of the daughter are not against such a union. During the event brides are presented, the redemption amount is discussed, which is given to the girl's father and mother. The bride’s family also contributes to the condition of the young family, which is a dowry. As a rule, it consists of bedding, jewelry and other items.

Relatives of the guy do everything possible to matchmaking looked magnificent and certain results were achieved:

• demonstration of their own solvency;
• father and mother of the bride must agree to the marriage.

The father of a young gypsy woman never responded immediately to agreeing to a marriage, saying that he needed time to make such a decision, and the bride was too young. However, in most cases, such phrases have already symbolized the consent to the wedding. If, as a result, the parents give consent, the girl herself is called and her desire is asked. The answer was clear in advance, since the daughter has no right to refuse her father.

The future father-in-law was wearing a gold coin around the girl’s neck. This symbolized the ban on re-matchmaking. If the girl was wooed while still in her infancy, her son’s father would still give a coin so that she would rush in the future.

Sometimes matchmaking could last for several days. The duration of the event depended on the security of the future wife's side - until the parents agree to the wedding, all costs fall on the shoulders of the bride's side. When the agreement sounded, all expenses for the holiday should have been paid by the groom.

There were cases when parents could marry a girl who turned 9-10 years old. After the consent of the bride’s side, the girl was taken away by the groom's parents to her house, and she lived with them for 13-15 years, after which a wedding was arranged. Such unions were necessary for young Roma to grow up in the usual rhythm of the life of the nation.

Bride price is a procedure that involves transferring funds to the bride’s side as a sign of gratitude for agreeing to marry her daughter.Using this method, the groom expressed his gratitude that his father-in-law with his mother-in-law raised a beautiful wife for him.

But also the ransom can be conducted by relatives from the side of the future husband. Young guests from her husband come to the house where the bride lives, on the day of celebration, but the girl’s brothers don’t give up their sister without ransom. As is customary, long negotiations are held with the transfer of sweets and spirits, after which the dramatization of the “storming” of the gate is played out, and the groom takes the bride out of the house.

Theft by mutual consent or in violent form, as well as non-discriminatory theft belongs to the customs of the Gypsy people, but they were not considered the prevailing type of marriage. Gypsies themselves disapprove of such actions. The result of such escapes could be different: either the bridegroom and the bride managed to escape from the camp, and after a while they were taken back as spouses, or the young ones caught up and their escape ended tragically.

Now the gypsies have changed their traditions a little. Parents do not communicate with their children in the form of mandative, but only give advice. The future bride and groom can get to know each other better before concluding a union. However, the desire of kinship with respected and decent families still takes place.

According to tradition, the wedding of the Gypsies lasts 3 days. It is distinguished by various rituals that have ancient roots. The distinctive features of marriage among Roma are that they do not have to attend a registry office for a wedding. For the celebration will require only the approval of the community, and divorce is not provided. Free Gypsy people are accustomed to live on the basis of their feelings, and not reason.

Gypsies from ancient times were located among the nomadic nations, but when settling in new areas they can take on new traditions. For example, if the family lives close to the Slavs, they may resort to a wedding in the church. Until now, modern Russian-speaking Roma are renowned for their religiosity and often marry in an Orthodox church.

And also before the wedding chastity must be observed, along with strong moral rules. For this reason, while the wedding is taking place, even the newly-made spouses (until the second day) are in different places so as not to touch each other. These laws are strictly enforced in every Gypsy family and are still in force.

There is a tradition for the exchange of brides. During such a custom, the side of the girl gave her daughter and took the sister of the future spouse as a bride to her son. Such an event was considered profitable for both families, since it was not necessary to pay the ransom.

Gypsy wedding is an important event. Since the celebration lasts for three days, it takes place in the summer so that guests can sing and perform dances in warm weather. Previously, there was a tradition according to which low tables were set up in the wedding venue, carpets were laid out directly on the ground. There were guests on the carpets, so it was difficult to create such an atmosphere in cold weather.

This nation is often satisfied with hen parties, which are also one of the wedding traditions. This event falls on the shoulders of the father and mother of the girl (the wedding is organized by the groom's side). Held a bachelorette party the day before the celebration with the presence of only young people.On this day, a young gypsy says goodbye to her friends.

The room or tent in which the young are located should be decorated with scarlet-colored ribbons. This color of the gypsy symbolizes passion and should accompany everyone throughout their lives. Also in the dwelling should be a red flag. On the date when the wedding is held, all rites begin to be performed at dawn.

In the house of the bride a small table is laid for the guests. In the morning, the music begins to play live. The bride herself at this moment is engaged in her preparation and is waiting for a wedding dress, located in the home of the future husband. The girl herself has no right to dress up. When the dress is put on, a young gypsy goes to the guests and performs a dance. Then everyone goes to the wedding.

Every man’s clothes should have red ribbons. White and red ribbons are also present on the groom's elegant clothes, only wider ones. Weddings of the Gypsy people attract attention with their beauty and beauty, fun. The bride herself is dressed in a beautiful wedding dress.

Such a tradition is present only among Roma who have adopted Orthodoxy, but this does not affect the caste culture, which takes its roots from Indian traditions. For this reason, the blessing of the young with the help of the icon can be carried out only by the highest layer of the camp. Bread blessed lower layers.

Gypsies do not have sex with girls before marriage. At the moment when the spouses get married, after the celebration they close in the room. Young go there with two women who are witnesses of the union and the fact that the girl entered into marriage as a virgin.

The wedding is always accompanied by such a rite. To show that the girl is clean, a veil was spread over the marriage bed, on which the young wife lost her virginity. If there was no blood on the sheet, the gypsy family was subjected to severe disgrace.

In families where a real Gypsy wedding is held, all rules must be respected, and the bride, who was not clean, leaves her husband in disgrace, and the marriage itself is considered to be dissolved. When the virgin sheet is covered, the girl is obliged to change the white dress to red. Hair should be hidden under a kerchief, which indicates that the girl is now married. After this feast continues.

Such a procedure is carried out between the young, when the veil of virginity is demonstrated. The procedure demonstrates the unity of the blood, where on the arm of the young they make an incision with which they must touch. With this action, the blood in the wounds is mixed. After that, the husband and wife become relatives and must share everything among themselves and raise children together.

At the wedding are usually held bride, so many free girls and guys are invited to the celebration. In most cases, such events end successfully, and in the future new alliances are concluded. A wedding among gypsies is a closed rite, therefore, there are only their own on it, foreigners rarely appear. However, there are exceptions, but disrespectful conversations about guests are not allowed.

At the table, the young should be placed side by side, and the rest of the men and women are at separate tables.Treats are laid out on special copper tables with low legs, and the guests themselves, as mentioned earlier, are placed on carpets. When celebrating, parents say a parting speech to their children and wish them success in family life.

A key place in the whole celebration is given to marriage information. In the evening of the first solemn day, the matchmakers or adult representatives of the camp, in whose hands was salt and loaf, approached the young. They spoke in Gypsy language: “So that you do not become unpleasant to each other, just as bread and salt do not become nasty between themselves. How can a man not tear himself from bread, as you do not tear yourself away from each other. ” Young people are required to tear off a piece of loaf and eat it with salt.

The tradition of meeting young people with the help of bread and salt was popular among many nations.that had to do with farming. Gypsies did not often engage in agricultural labor, but at the end of the 19th century such a rite became common among the nation. When asked about the life of young people, they usually said: “like bread and salt”.

At the wedding, the guests gave the newly-wed spouses expensive items or finances. When presenting the presentation, the words said: "From me a little, from God more." It so happened that the gifts could pay back the cost of the holiday.

Then the couple went to the tent, which left the other guests. In some cases, allowed to remain older women. This action should take place in the midst of the holiday. The culmination of the celebration is a young shirt takeaway on a tray with scarlet flowers. Guests drink to the girl's parents and say thanks to them for such a beautiful daughter. All present receive flowers from paper or scarlet ribbons that are attached to clothes and hairstyles.

After the shirt was taken out, a scarf was put on the bride's head, an apron was placed on the skirt. From these minutes the girl could not appear in front of other male representatives without a headscarf. Hairstyle also suffered changes. Free gypsy women could braid braids or loosen their hair, and married girls braided small braids near the forehead and twisted loose strands up to the braids. This hairstyle is called amboldinari.

The scarf also had to be tied in a special way: the tips are twisted into a bundle and tied at the back. All changes in appearance demonstrated the transfer of the gypsy to a new social category.

On the third day, after the girl moves in with her husband, a dowry is ransomed. This ceremony contains the details of the Gypsy culture, therefore, the dowry is exported on a cart, which is harnessed to a horse. The whole procedure is comic and takes place with musical and dancing accompaniment. The dowry itself is not demonstrated.

Consider the behavior of guests and newlyweds.

• By tradition, the wedding can give alcohol. Presented gift should be immediately put on the table. However, despite the large amount of alcohol, fights at the Gypsy wedding are rare.
• At the festive table there are numerous treats.
• Women are forbidden to touch men in order not to defile them.

• The phrase "bitter" is forbidden.
• Wedding dance the bride and groom do not perform.
• According to tradition, young people do not have the right to talk to each other in triumph. With the help of this way the girl shows submission. She is obliged to be silent all day, and the spouse can talk to those present.
• Men and women not only sit separately at the tables, but also perform dances in their own circle. A characteristic feature of the wedding is the gypsy pereplyas.

For more information about the wedding of Roma in Russia, see the following video.