How is the gypsy wedding

• How is the gypsy wedding

Roma wedding - perhaps the most important event in the life of the family, and therefore the money it is not spared. When the Gypsies walked, then all. A wedding at them in all the villages rattled. From village to village went, all counter wine watered. With musicians. We put what is best, but not, so the neighbors took. Some families were ruined at the wedding.

Gypsy Bride on the wedding in the camp in the town of Chudovo, Novgorod region, Russia, September 6, 2014

Marriage by means of courtship was most common among Roma. Along with this, there were others. Roma could zasvatat their children when they were still infants. Parents agreed that upon reaching a certain age children will be held wedding. Such an agreement is strictly observed. Sometimes Roma matchmaker girl 9-10 years old, and if the girl's parents were in agreement, then it was taken to her and she lived with them until 13-15 years, and then was arranged wedding. Such early marriages were needed to keep the younger generation in the traditional way of life. Now, of course, it is rare to see the newlyweds 14-15 years. In recent years, the age of consent varies between 16-20 years.

Woman with a dress of the bride.

The custom of exchanging brides (Romany is called "those keres skimbate ne"), when a family gave the daughter, the bride and groom's sister took a wife for his son, was beneficial for both sides and get rid of the family from having to ransom.

The groom.

Matchmaking passed on strictly regulated ritual. The bride's parents came home and young families; two of them were called matchmakers. They also held talks with the bride's parents. The bride could not know about the arrival of the matchmakers, but if she learned about it in advance, it still had not been present at the same time as long as it is not called. If the parents finally agreed, the bride called and asked about her desire, knowing that her daughter will not go against the will of his father. A future in-law hanging on the girl's neck a gold coin as a sign that no one else has to woo her. When the children make a match still nursing, the boy's father also gave a gold coin girl that she was wearing it when older.

Board on Gypsy wedding in the camp.

Gypsies was extended this form of marriage, as the theft of the bride. This was due primarily to economic reasons - there was no money for a wedding or for the payment of a ransom. But more often resorted to kidnapping if the parents did not allow boys and girls to marry.

Generally kidnapping by mutual agreement or violent, not the fictitious abduction provided Gypsy customs, but they were not the dominant form of detention. In addition, Roma themselves do not welcome. The outcome of these shoots is twofold: either young so arrange the escape that they will not catch up (then after a while they returned to the camp, where they were received as a husband and wife); if the young man and the girl have time to catch up, isolation could be very tragic.

Gypsy Bride on the wedding in the camp.

Marriages may be concluded between representatives of different ethnic groups, although most were approved marriages within their own groups (if only betrothed were not relatives).

The bride prepares for wedding.

When choosing a bride Roma guided by its origin (ie wealth and reputation of her parents), as well as its beauty and professional qualities.

If the bride paid a ransom, it is done before the wedding - during or after a courtship ritual. Redemption (in Kelderari - Ando VAST - literally "hand") - this is a sign of respect for the family of the groom, father of the bride, and compensation for the fact that he is deprived of the potential dobytchitsy. Dimensions of redemption is determined during the courtship of the bride's father, guided by the degree of prosperity of the groom's family.

This custom of aggravated involuntary status of women in the new family. My husband's parents, paying in gold for a daughter, saw themselves as its rightful owners. Apparently, therefore, there was the custom of the return of the ransom as a gift for young (jam). This happened on the second day of the wedding, where guests are given gifts young. Thus parents tried to ease her daughter's life.

The costs of the wedding often assumed the groom's relatives, sometimes by agreement divided in half with the bride's parents. On giving the gypsies at wooing the girl was not mentioned, but it is sure to come on - it was a feather beds, pillows, clothing and jewelry. But now it is not a bed or underclothes things, and keys to the house, where they will live young (if the bride's parents are able to provide it), car keys or jewelry.

At the wedding guests are given gifts in the form of a young valuable items or money. "Mandar Hans Affairs of Qatar on May bottles" - "From me a little bit of God more," - sentenced Roma, presenting young gifts. Sometimes the gifts collected pays for the wedding expenses.

at Roma weddings arranged any time of year, but most often in the summer. The appointed day of the wedding were invited and gathered at the selected location several families of Gypsies.

Gypsy wedding begins in the house of the bride. Here the musicians play, and the girl, wearing a wedding dress, down to dance to the guests.

After that, some of the guests brings the bride to the groom's house, where already laid wedding table for the young. For guests covered individual tables - separately for men and women. At the wedding can be several hundred people.

Then the young escorted to the bedroom, which sometimes could stay old woman. This happened in the midst of a wedding feast. The culmination of the wedding was a young takeaway shirt on a tray, decorated with red flowers. Guests toasted the bride's parents and thanked for raising daughters than they were very proud. All guests were handed paper flowers or ribbons in red, who pinned on the clothes and the hair; Red - symbol of the wedding. If the bride was without blemish, young guests are given gifts. If not (which was extremely rare), her parents recover all the wedding expenses.

When the young guests returned to the bedroom, she puts on a married woman's dress: a scarf on her head, on the apron skirt. Some Roma and change the hairstyle of the bride, braiding hair in braids.

The boy in the tray with the money.

Usually wedding lasted for two or three days; the rich Gypsies walked for a week. After the wedding, the wife always went to live with her husband.

In tray with money.

Nowadays it is very often the case that the Roma register the marriage in the registry office only when necessary. If registration takes place, then, as a rule, it is not woven into the fabric of a traditional wedding. It may be a month before the wedding, or a week after. Registration of marriage before the wedding does not mean that the bride and groom actually become husband and wife.

Other girls show themselves mainly on Roma weddings of friends and acquaintances.

Gypsy weddings are characterized by the absence of any divorce traditions. As a rule, Roma is a rare phenomenon. If a woman that is not satisfied, it could just walk away from a man, but no special practices for this is not provided by the gypsies.

Nowadays divorces are more frequent. As before, when wooing the dowry does not say - although it must provide. But on the second day of the wedding, when the young presented gifts, the bride's parents give posago.

It is done publicly to all those present at the wedding is seen in the case of divorce, a woman could get your items - in fact, if the marriage is not legally issued, it is often marginalized by their interests in a divorce.