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Beliefs of the Gypsies: a few words. What is the religion of the gypsies? Christian or other

Gypsies are perhaps one of the most incomprehensible and mythologized peoples on our planet, and this has been the case for many centuries. There are rumors around the world that when gypsies come to a city, they seduce men and women and then steal everything in sight, including children.

There are also many myths about cunning and mysterious gypsy fortune tellers and gypsy camps. In any case, even if we put all myths and misconceptions aside, the Roma remain one of the most interesting ethnic groups in history.

WHERE THEY CAME FROM

The origins of the Gypsies are shrouded in mystery. At times it seemed that they appeared on the planet by someone mysteriously. This in itself may have created a sense of fear among Europeans and contributed to the atmosphere of mystery surrounding the Gypsies. Modern scholars suggest that the Gypsies originally migrated en masse from India in the fifth century.

This theory suggests that their flight was linked to the spread of Islam, which the Roma were desperate to avoid in order to protect their religious freedom. This theory states that the Gypsies migrated from India to Anatolia and further to Europe, where they split into three separate branches: the Domari, the Lomavren, and the Gypsies themselves. Another theory suggests that there were as many as three separate migrations over several centuries.

NOMADIC LIFESTYLE OF GYPSIES

Many stereotypes have long been formed around the gypsies. Who doesn’t know the phrase “gypsy soul” (which is used in relation to freedom-loving people). According to these stereotypes, gypsies prefer to live, as they say, not in the “mainstream” and avoid social norms to be able to lead a nomadic life, replete with fun and dancing. The truth is much darker.

For many centuries, Roma were often forcibly expelled from the countries in which they lived. Such forced evictions continue to this day. Many historians have suggested that the real reason The nomadic lifestyle of the gypsies is very simple: survival.

GYPSIES HAVE NO HOMELAND

Gypsies are people without a specific citizenship. Most countries refuse to grant them citizenship, even if they were born in that country. Centuries of persecution and their closed community have led to the fact that the Roma simply have no homeland. In 2000, the Roma were officially declared a non-territorial nation. This lack of citizenship makes Roma legally “invisible”.

Although they are not subject to the laws of any country, they cannot access education, healthcare and other social services. Moreover, Roma cannot even obtain passports, making their travel very difficult or impossible.

GYpsy PERSECUTION

It's worth starting with the fact that the Gypsies were actually enslaved people in Europe, especially in the 14th - 19th centuries. They were exchanged and sold as goods, and they were considered “subhumans.” In the 1700s, Empress Maria Theresa of the Austro-Hungarian Empire passed a law that outlawed Gypsies. This was done to force the Roma to integrate into society.

Similar laws have been passed in Spain, and many European countries banned Roma from entering their territory. The Nazi regime also persecuted and exterminated Roma by the tens of thousands. Even today the gypsies are persecuted.

NO ONE KNOWS HOW MANY GYPSIES THERE ARE IN THE WORLD

Nobody knows how many gypsies live around the world today. Due to the discrimination that Roma often face, many of them do not publicly register or identify themselves as Roma. In addition, given their “legal invisibility”, the birth of children without documents and frequent moves, many Roma are listed as missing.

Also problematic is that Roma are not provided with social services, which would help paint a clearer picture of their numbers. Nevertheless, The New The York Times estimates the number of Roma people worldwide at 11 million, but this figure is often disputed.

GYPSIES - AN OFFENSIVE WORD

For many people, the term “gypsy” means nomad and is not considered a racial slur. But for the “Roma” themselves (or “Romals” - the self-name of the Gypsies) this word has ominous overtones. For example, according to the Oxford Dictionary English word“gypped” (derived from “gypsie” - gypsy) means a criminal act.

Roma, often called gypsies, were considered losers and thieves, a word that was burned into their skin during the Nazi regime. Like many other racial slurs, the word “gypsy” has been used for centuries to oppress the Roma people.

FUTURE, CHEAP...

There are many myths surrounding gypsies. One of these myths is that gypsies have their own magic, which has been passed down for centuries from generation to generation. The myth is associated with tarot cards, crystal balls and fortune teller tents, as well as other stereotypes. The literature is replete with references to the gypsy language and the magical arts of this people.

In addition, there are many films that show gypsy curses. Even in art, there are many paintings that describe Roma as mystical and magical people. However, many scientists believe that all this magic is fiction, resulting from the fact that people simply did not know anything about the gypsies.

LACK OF FORMAL RELIGION

In European folklore it is often stated that the Roma made a temple out of cream cheese. Presumably, they ate it during a period of severe famine, so they were left without an official religion. Generally, Gypsies join the church that is most widespread in the country in which they live. However, there are many traditional Romani beliefs. Some scholars believe that there are many connections between Roma beliefs and Hinduism.

MODESTY

Although gypsy weddings are often accompanied by mass celebrations and luxurious attire, the everyday clothing of gypsies reflects one of their main life principles - modesty. Gypsy dancing is most often associated with women's belly dancing. However, many Romani women have never performed what is considered today belly dancing.

Instead, they perform traditional dances that use only their bellies for movement, not their thighs, as moving the hips is considered immodest. Additionally, the long, flowing skirts typically worn by gypsy women serve to cover their legs, as exposing their legs is also considered immodest.

THE GYpsy CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD CULTURE IS HUGE

From the very beginning of their existence, the Gypsies were closely associated with singing, dancing and acting. They carried this tradition throughout the centuries and significantly influenced world art. Many Gypsies have assimilated into different cultures, influencing them. Many singers, actors, artists, etc. had gypsy roots.

Gypsies are a mysterious nomadic people. Their life and history are shrouded in many myths and prejudices, and their culture is original and has roots in the distant past. Historians, cultural scientists, ethnologists and ordinary people concerns the question of where they came from, how they live and what kind of faith the gypsies have.

Gypsies - who are they?

Gypsies are one of the largest ethnic groups in Europe. Bulgarian ethnologists call it an intergroup ethnic formation. The essence of this definition lies in the characteristics of the settlement of Roma in different territories. The mosaic distribution of gypsies is associated with a huge variety of their varieties and distinctive features. Depending on the territory of residence, there are different ethnic self-names: Sinti, Manush - people, Kale - black, Roma (Romani) - a general political designation for all Gypsies living in Europe.

Not having permanent place habitats, gypsies live in all corners of the planet except Antarctica.

Types of gypsies

The division of Roma into ethnic groups depends on territorial location and occupation. Ethnologists distinguish three western and three eastern branches of the gypsies.

Western ones include:

Roma is one of the most numerous groups. It includes the gypsies who occupy the territory of Europe.
Sinti - German and French gypsies.
Iberians - Spaniards and Portuguese.

The eastern branch is formed by:

Lyuli are Central Asian gypsies.
Bosha are gypsy peoples occupying the territories of Turkey and the Caucasus.
House - Arab peoples and living in Israel.

There are small gypsy groups that are difficult to attribute to any specific branch. On the territory of Europe live ethnic groups that are similar in culture, but not related to the gypsies: Travelers from Ireland and Yenish from Central Europe.

Researchers of Gypsy culture talk about the possibility of dividing Gypsies into groups according to their type of activity.

What religion do the gypsies profess?

Gypsy culture is closely connected with the Gypsies, forms their traditions, customs and moral and ethical standards and, as a rule, depends on the territory of residence. The main religions to which the Roma belong are Christianity and Islam. But to this day, features of Hinduism, Shaivism, animism, Zoroastrianism and magical elements have been preserved in official beliefs.

Researchers argue that the adoption of a particular religion was a way of self-defense. When settling in a particular region, the gypsies tried to at least outwardly conform to the followers of the local religion, so as not to come into conflict with the indigenous population.

Regardless of what faith the gypsies of a particular group belong to, their mentality and beliefs that have developed over long time their existence, leave an imprint on the adherence to certain moral norms.

Outward acceptance of the official religion gives the Roma the opportunity to pay tribute to their pagan and animist idols. For example, Central Asian gypsies had gods representing the Sun. The faith of gypsies in the West is based on the idolization of the Moon. The full moon was considered a holiday on which magical rituals and witchcraft rituals. The faith of the gypsies in India is based on the idolization of the phallus; the cult of Shiva and the goddess Kali is also widespread here.

Regardless of what religion the Gypsies belong to, they pay great attention to protection from evil spirits. A serious task is to protect the newborn from powerful demonic forces. After birth, he is sprinkled with salt water and given a name that will be spoken only at certain periods of his life. The rest of the time the worldly name is used.

Veneration of the Saints

The faith of the Roma is based on the veneration of female religious images. Despite the dominant role of men in society, their main saint is a woman. No matter what religion the gypsies are, everyone honors the mythological image of Saint Sarah. There are several legends associated with it. According to the first, she was the savior of the relatives of Mary Magdalene; during a terrible storm, she saved them by finding the way to the shore by the stars. The second legend says that she was the first to receive the Holy Revelation from the saints who sailed past her camp.

Gypsies who believe in afterlife, try to protect themselves from meeting the deceased. So that nothing holds the souls of the dead in this world, they burn all the things of the deceased and their houses. There are those who do not believe in life after death. Also, according to some ethnic groups, the soul can return to earth three times, once every 500 years. Serbian gypsies claim that after death a person lives the same life, but indefinitely.

Spirits and vampires are designated by the word "mullo". If a gypsy dies at the hands of a person, the mullo will find and hunt down the culprit. Slavic gypsies believe in werewolves. They become those who led a dissolute lifestyle or became victims of a vampire.

Customs of the Gypsies

The faith of the gypsies determines their customs. Russian Orthodox Gypsies are devout and the rite of baptism is obligatory for them. In Gypsy houses there is a “red corner” with icons. In Russia, Gypsies celebrate Christmas and Easter and get married in church. An important stage of a gypsy wedding is the recognition of the union by the community. This is the initial and most important stage marriages. On Radonitsa, gypsies visit cemeteries where they beg for alms. This tradition is considered good, since those who give at this moment perform a good deed, fulfilling their Christian duty.

Saint George is one of the most revered gypsy saints. Holidays in honor of him are held in Turkey and the Balkans. Muslims also pay great attention to customs. However, women ignore the need to cover their faces, and men do not undergo circumcision.

Myths and legends of the gypsies

Whatever religion the gypsies belong to, there are common beliefs that determine their entire worldview. There is a story that a gypsy stole a nail that Roman legionnaires were supposed to drive into the head of the crucified Christ. For this, God blessed all the people and allowed them to steal. In reality, the tendency to steal is only a consequence of the historically established worldview of the gypsies.

They are convinced that everything created by God belongs to people and exists for the common good. Thus, fruits, animals and birds are a gift from God, given to people for free use. Today, theft is the main way of earning money for gypsies.

Raymond Buckland in his book “Gypsies. Secrets of life and traditions" talks about real case, when gypsy children baptized the same borrowed baby eight times in different churches, because at the baptism the priest gave the child a coin. The lack of ties to a specific territory is also perceived as a gift from God; the gypsies believe that the Almighty has given the whole world at their disposal.

Russian gypsies. Customs and faith of Roma in Russia

According to official data, 200 thousand Roma live in Russia today. Their actual number exceeds these figures by at least five times. This is due to the fact that at the time many indicated other nationalities.

“Russka Roma” have their own dialect - a mixture of Russian, Polish and German language. The traditional activities of Russian gypsies are horse breeding, music playing, dancing, fortune telling and the circus. It was in Russia that the genre of gypsy romance was born.

Most Russian Roma are Christians. But what kind of faith the Gypsies have in Russia is not important, the main thing for them is the general Gypsy law. The fewest rules govern relations with non-gypsies: here it is necessary to adhere to the norms of behavior that are established in society. More important are the laws of communication with both gypsies and non-gypsies: the prohibition of murder, rape, and physical mutilation.

Respect for the guest is mandatory. The most a large number of rules govern behavior within the Roma community. The main thing is that no one has the right to elevate himself above another. However, in every community there is an unspoken leader and intermediary who is responsible for communication with the outside world. Most often such a person is

Gypsy laws strictly regulate communication with each other, with elders, children and women, the procedure for holding holidays, the rules for choosing clothing and a list of “decent” activities are regulated. Worthy professions are those associated with creativity, handicrafts, pottery and carpentry.

A significant part of Russian gypsies today are associated with crime. Among them, as among other ethnic groups, theft, begging and drug trafficking occur. At the same time, there is another side to the gypsy society, which includes talented singers, musicians and actors. For example, in Russia there is a worldwide popular

Impact on culture

The unique flavor of gypsy art had a colossal influence on world culture: music, poetry and cinema. Everyone knows the heroes: the gypsy Esmeralda from Hugo’s “Notre Dame Cathedral”, Georges Bizet’s fatal Carmen, Pushkin’s Zemfira and Aleko, modern style boho, touching romances and the music of Goran Bregovic - humanity owes all this heritage to the gypsies.

Finally

Gypsies are a complex and mysterious people. You cannot fully experience their culture without immersing yourself in it personally. The main thing is not to form your ideas solely based on the image of dirty beggars on the streets. In fact, the Roma are a distinctive and extraordinary ethnic group with their own laws, customs, rich culture and valuable heritage.

This is what the Soviet Gypsy linguist and ethnographer Lexa Manush (Alexander Dmitrievich Belugin, 1942 - 1997) wrote in her article “The Cult of Shiva and the Gypsies,” published in No. 6 of the magazine “Soviet Ethnography” for 1979.

The question of the religion of the Roma is one of the problems of undoubted interest both for scientists (Gypsyologists and religious scholars) and for a wide range of non-specialists. When it comes to gypsies, perhaps most often we hear: “What faith are they? What is their religion?

However, despite the long history of Gypsy research, very little has been achieved in this area, although the authors touch on this issue in almost every monograph on Gypsies. True, as a rule, in sections devoted to religion, it is only reported that the gypsies believe in God, whom they call devel, and that his antipode is the devil, whom they call beng. Most often, the fact of the spread of among the gypsies of the official religion of the country in which they live, that is, dividing them by religion into Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants or Muslims. Among the Balkan gypsies there is a very interesting combination of Islam and Christianity. Many researchers also note, along with the formal religion of the gypsies, remnants of magical, animistic and other beliefs and rituals. So, in particular, E. Horvatova points out that inThe religious ideas of the gypsies were initially dominated by animism and demonology. The desire to comprehend the hierarchy of Christian saints headed by the triune God led to the symbiosis of two systems that were different in development - polydemonism and monotheism. Some of the researchers discover in the religion of the gypsies also traces of the cult of ancestors brought from India, the very foundations of which, according to A.P. Barannikov, the gypsies, however, have long forgotten.

Some researchers are inclined to deny that the gypsies have any religious feeling at all, directly declaring them to be obvious atheists, devoid of any religion, while others, on the contrary, note their rare commitment to the church, surprising the priests themselves. Both of these diametrically opposed points of view among researchers of Gypsy religion are pointed out in their book by G. Mode and Z. Wölffling.However, as E. Fitsovsky rightly wrote on this occasion, speaking about the imaginary “atheism” of the gypsies, gypsyologists confuse the two different concepts. Not respecting existing religious systems and not creating their own, the gypsies nevertheless believe in God, the devil and the afterlife, as evidenced by their funeral and memorial rites. In addition, they have mastered some props of Christian church ritual (church building, “holy” water, crucifix, faces of saints), which are used in connection with specifically gypsy rituals.

Lexa Manush also noted that then among the ancestors of the gypsies, who were the Aryanized indigenous population of northwestern India, considered among caste system ancient india By Varna, Shudra or Dasa, undoubtedly before their migration at the beginning of the second half of the 1st millennium to the west, existed along with the Agamic cults and the cult of Shiva. The term dasa, which was one of the ethnonyms of the non-Aryan tribes that the Aryans met upon their arrival in India, later acquired in Sanskrit the meaning of 'demon', ' evil spirit', 'savage', 'barbarian' and finally 'slave'. In the dialects of the Balkan and some Vlach gypsies, this word was preserved in the meaning of the South Slavic peoples once conquered by the Turks - Serbs, Croats and Bulgarians. As a self-name, the gypsies adopted the Sanskrit name for a member of the caste of singers and musicians doma ~ domba, which later gave dom in the dialects of Asian gypsies, lorn among Armenian gypsies, and rom among European gypsies, and in the dialects of the Balkan gypsies it is still preserved with a cerebral consonant - rom. It can be assumed that the adoption of this term as a self-name by the ancestors of the Gypsies was associated with their practice of serving Shiva, who is also known as Nataraja, i.e. the king of dance.

First, let's get acquainted with the literary tradition. Based on the quotes below, one can judge what they have written about the religiosity of the Gypsies over the last two hundred years:

They do not profess any religion, but follow fetishism, that is, they worship objects useful to their life: tents, carts and forges; They believe, like the Turks, in predestination. In Christian lands they pretend to be Christians, in Turkey they pretend to be Mohammedans, and with Jews they are Jews.1
Mihail Kogalniceanu. 1837

The gypsies have no trace of religion, and if one eastern writer claims that “in the world there are seventy-two faiths and a half,” meaning by “half” the faith of the gypsies, then this is not true, because they have no faith at all.2
"Light in Pictures" 1880

Understanding nothing about the Christian faith, gypsies usually willingly accept it, but only outwardly. He even...

One of the most frequently asked questions to me is what kind of REAL faith?

The adherence to the faith of their ancestors among the Gypsies is surprisingly persistent, although I have seen many times in Tyrnetik statements that the Gypsies always perform the religious customs of the area where...

Most Gypsies profess Christianity or Islam, but there are also representatives of other faiths.

Christian gypsies are very devout and pay great attention to church holidays.

Orthodox gypsies dress strictly in everyday life according to recommendations Orthodox Church. In the house of Orthodox Gypsies, just like Russians, there is a “red corner” in which icons are located. A wedding is considered more important than civil registration of marriage. The only thing more important than a wedding is a “gypsy wedding,” that is, the recognition of marriage by the gypsy society. It is usually played before the wedding.

Orthodox gypsies consider St. Nicholas the Pleasant and St. George their patron, Catholics consider Blessed Seferino (officially approved in this role by the Vatican), as well as Mother Teresa and the mythical character Sarah Kali.

The most significant religious holidays for all Christian gypsies are Easter and Christmas.

Muslim Gypsies are also religious, but do not practice some Muslim customs. For example,…

Religious scholar Roman Lunkin on how religion determines the fate of the world

Yakov Krotov: I want to start the program with a short video interview. If we are going to talk about how faith influences planet Earth, all of humanity, culture, it’s probably a good idea to remember that faith, first of all, influences the believer, the person who professes this faith. And here's about this interview with poetess Daria Serenko.

Daria Serenko: At some specific, very difficult moment for me, they were there good people who turned out to be churchgoers, that is, there were some very simple things - I think they are common to many. And in the wake of this depressive state, religion had some kind of therapeutic value for me (now I already evaluate it this way, but then I would have been very offended if someone told me that).

I study poetry, modern literature, and I had a very strong conflict with my confessor - art and religion. This shouldn't be a dichotomy, but...

The gypsy tribe is a mystery initially, historically. A people that does not have its own land will never be firmly established in world history. It’s simple: we have never seen their buildings 3-5 centuries ago, household items, nor have we read the reports of archaeological expeditions (one of the most reliable ways of supplying various numbers and dates to history). They do not have their own corner on this planet, they have no heritage anywhere.
G. Gass finds the beginning of the gypsies in the southern side of the Bosphorus, M. Niger - in the northern part of the kingdom of Tunisia; H. Gerbello assumed that the gypsies came from Zanzibar, E. Silvius - from the Caucasus mountains; K. Eckar asserted their kinship with the Circassians, Vagesil - with German Jews. K. Grieseman pointed to Egypt, P. S. Pallas - to the Danube and Ukraine. And they are also Bulgarians, Boheians, Hungarians and many others. And this is not a stigma: today a Jew, tomorrow a Spaniard. No formalities.
Disagreements about the origin of the gypsies were suppressed by Grelman and Pott. Taking linguistics as the basis for the analysis. If you put even a modern gypsy in prison,...

Beliefs of the Gypsies: a few words. gipsylilya - 03/14/2012 One of the most frequently asked questions to me is what is the REAL faith of the gypsies?
People who ask it are usually pre-set to hear one of the following options: “Hinduism/paganism”, “fire/sun worship” or simply “Gypsies don’t believe in anything”.

And I, as an honest woman, have to destroy their world, explaining that Muslim gypsies have a Muslim faith, and Christian gypsies have a Christian faith, and in both cases it is real. And if Christian gypsies are quite mobile in relation to Christian denominations (Catholic Magyars do not see a big problem in going over to the camp of evangelists, because there is a cross here and there, for example), then from Christianity to Islam and vice versa they rarely and reluctantly switch, mostly The transition is made by women to their husband's faith. True, interreligious marriages among Roma are rare.

The gypsies' adherence to the faith of their ancestors is surprisingly persistent, although...

The Roma culture is very diverse and rich. This is due to the wide distribution of Gypsies around the world, the rich, albeit short, history and complexity of the ethnic composition of this non-territorial nation. Gypsy culture has a significant influence on the musical culture of the world.

Indian heritage

The ancestors of the gypsies lived in the north-west of India, they, according to the most popular hypothesis now, belonged to the “house” caste (scientists still have not come to a consensus about the place of this caste in the Indian pre-Muslim hierarchy) and spoke a language derived from Sanskrit and akin to modern Hindi. The caste's activities included singing, dancing, jewelry and blacksmithing.

IN modern culture The gypsies have preserved some heritage of their Indian ancestors: grammar and vocabulary gypsy language remained related to Sanskrit, the crafts of the “house” caste are included in the list of traditional gypsy occupations, the initial division into ethnic groups occurred on the basis of profession, similar to in India...

The gypsies profess the dominant religion in their country of residence. In some places they also learn the language of the surrounding population, finally losing their native language.

For example, in Russia Gypsies are Orthodox, in Spain they are Catholics, in Turkey they are Mohammedans, and so on. This does not prevent them from everywhere observing many religious rituals and views taken from their old homeland. This is evidenced by their ethnographically interesting wedding and funeral rites, during childbirth, when naming children, and so on. Their views on the afterlife and funeral rites belong to the most primitive ones.

Rites of the Gypsies

Here are some customs and rituals from the life of gypsies: Wedding. A week before the wedding, the bride and groom go to a river or lake and place two lit candles on the shore. If one of them goes out before it burns out, it is considered a bad omen; then the young people throw apples and eggs (sacred objects of common Aryan mythology) into the water to appease...

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Gypsy Ivanov went against the camp for the sake of faith in God, but the camp followed him

When Elizbar’s father was still Edik, the city of Kimry had a reputation as the heroin capital of Central Russia. The train from Moscow was popularly called the “green needle”: board the last car normal people did not sit down - only drug addicts rode in it. All the junkies within a radius of three hundred kilometers came here to buy cheap heroin here, to the Savelovo station, or rather to Hollywood: that’s what the gypsy village is called here. Local youth quickly mastered a simple business: you, Muscovite, stand on the platform, I’ll run to the camp instead of you, and I’ll give myself ten percent. Very soon it became difficult to find a teenager in the city with an adequate expression in his eyes.

“In Hollywood we have Hungarian gypsies, they are called Lovaris,” a local intelligence officer told me at that time. - They appeared here in the late sixties, after they were expelled from Ukraine. At first these Lovaris started trading...

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I am a gypsy, can I be a real Christian? How can I strengthen my faith? Victor asks
Answered by Vasily Yunak, 01/20/2012

Victor writes:
…

The Roma culture is very diverse and rich. This is due to the wide distribution of Roma throughout the world, the rich, albeit short, history and complexity of the ethnic composition of this non-territorial nation. Gypsy culture has a significant influence on the musical culture of the world (especially Romanian, Hungarian, Balkan, Spanish folk music, as well as classical music of the 19th century, jazz, flamenco).

For gypsies different countries characterized by uneven development of areas of high culture. Thus, the majority of gypsy artists are natives of Hungary, the most developed musical culture among the gypsies of Russia, Hungary, Romania, Spain, the Balkan countries, gypsy literature in this moment more developed in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and Russia, acting art - in Russia and Ukraine.

With all the diversity of gypsy culture among different ethnic groups, one can note a similar system of values and perception of the world.

The ancestors of the gypsies lived in the north-west of India, they, according to the most popular...

Many people think that all gypsies are pagans and worship fire or the sun.

But in fact, most of the gypsies profess the religion of the country where they live. This could be, for example, Christianity, Islam or Buddhism.

What do gypsies believe?

U gypsy faith has its own characteristics. Thus, Orthodox gypsies consider St. Nicholas the Pleasant and St. George their patron, while Catholics consider Blessed Seferino and at the same time a certain Sara Kali, who is a mythical character.

Candidate of Philological Sciences, religious scholar, senior Researcher Center for the Study of Problems of Religion and Society of the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences Roman Lunkin comments: “Gypsies accept the religion of the country where they are located and where they live enough for a long time. Currently, as far as I know, there are those who profess Islam and those who profess Christianity (these are the majority because many Gypsies live in Russia, Romania, Hungary, Moldova. In general, Romani Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox and Muslims."

What religious customs do Gypsies observe?

In Russia, the majority of Roma are Orthodox and undergo baptism. Many of them are quite devout. Thus, in the houses of settled gypsies there is a “red corner” with icons. They try to observe religious rituals, and married couples are sure to get married in church, and the wedding ritual is considered more important than registering the marriage in the registry office. But even more important is the “gypsy wedding”, which takes place even before the wedding - it means recognition of the marriage by the gypsy community.

The biggest Religious holidays for Orthodox gypsies - Christmas and Easter. For Turkish Christian gypsies, the biggest holiday is Hidrelez, which is celebrated on the night of May 5-6. It is also celebrated in the Balkans, where it is called Ederlezi and is dedicated to St. George.

The Russian Vlach Gypsies have an interesting custom. On Radonitsa, women and children certainly visit cemeteries, where they beg for alms from visitors. And these are not necessarily beggars. In this way, they fulfill a certain Christian “duty” by helping other people do a good deed. By the way, Russians often know about this and on this day they willingly give the gypsies small change.

Muslim gypsies also pay attention to religious customs, but not all. Thus, gypsy women in Islamic countries never cover their faces. Not everyone practices the ritual of circumcision of the foreskin.

Religious myths of the gypsies

By the way, there is such a legend among Christian gypsies. When Christ was crucified, gypsies passed by and stole one nail. For this, God allegedly allowed the gypsy people to sometimes steal. Therefore, gypsies do not see anything wrong with theft and fraud. Experts in gypsy culture consider this myth not so old and believe that it was born in the Balkans.

Another legend says that God especially loves the gypsies for their fun and talent, therefore he did not tie them to pieces of land, as he did with other peoples, but gave them the whole world. Therefore, they led a nomadic lifestyle. Indeed, gypsies can be found in all corners of the Earth, except perhaps Antarctica.

As you can see, the gypsies have their own interpretation of faith. “I can’t say that the gypsies are very religious people, says Roman Lunkin. - They rather have a more developed tribal system, which is the basis of their life and true religion. The rest is all the cultural features of the country where they live, into which they integrate.”

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