Gypsy Research Paper

417 Words1 Page

When you hear the phrase ‘traveler people’ or ‘gypsies’ you more than likely question what that means, who they are, and where they came from. Many people know nothing of their history, customs, beliefs, traditions, or their way of life.
The Romani people are also known as a traveling people, Roma, and Gypsies. This means people who have migrated worldwide for centuries. "5 Intriguing Facts About the Roma." The Roma originated from India. Although many may speak the language of the country they reside in, they do have a language specific to them. This language is called Romani, an indic language very similar to Hindi. There is no written form of Romani."Gypsies." The Roma traveled throughout Europe and faced years of discrimination. In WWII about 2 million Roma died. They were enslaved, children were abducted, some countries wanted them dead, others wanted them removed. There are …show more content…

Families are very close, including distant relatives and inlaws. Most families are large and having multiple children is common. The Roma have specific customs and beliefs when it comes to clothing, and their home lives. Children wear modern kids clothes. Women wear modest skirts, pants typically down to their mid calf. The Roma women show no shame in wearing low cut tops. Married woman often wear scarves on their heads with their hair up in a ponytail or braided. Men wear clothes that reflect authority, power, and masculinity. Everyone excluding children treat clothes worn on the upper body to be pure and clothes worn on the lower body as impure. Men are considered more pure than women, and can be polluted if a woman exposed herself to a man that isn’t her husband. Upper body clothes are washed separately from lower body clothes. The head is considered the most pure part of the body so scarves and hats are washed separately from other clothing. Children don’t have to worry about polluting others or being polluted until they hit puberty.

Open Document