Despite obvious efforts to promote multiculturalism and tolerance in society, the national traditions of other nations can seem strange and sometimes even frightening.
Particularly strange are the customs of the Roma, who seem to live together with us, but at the same time lead strikingly different lifestyles. Let’s examine the unwritten laws of this ethnic group regarding marriage and weddings.
Gypsies marry early
A gypsy woman is a potential bride at the age of 14. From that age, she tries to dance at weddings and other celebrations until the end of the event, because she knows that the fathers of the grooms are looking for a partner for their sons. If a Romani woman does not marry before the age of 19, she is considered an old maid.
The bride is judged by the number of cans she owns.
On the wedding day, the bride is exchanged for gold. The bride’s father, and if he is absent, her brothers, decide the amount, which is calculated in a three-liter can of gold.
The result of the bride’s «trial of honor» is made public.
Before the first wedding night, the bride is locked up with the older women of the family, who put her virginity to the test. The results are then presented to the young couple on a tray in the form of a bloody sheet.
This custom is known as «carrying the honor.» If the bride fails the test, the marriage is immediately dissolved and she remains unmarried forever, which is the greatest curse of the Roma.
Divorce is not stipulated.
