Gypsies are the most mysterious and mysterious people of our planet. They pass on their customs and traditions from generation to generation, thereby preserving and spreading them. Therefore, many of their rituals have ancient roots. Gypsy weddings, which are celebrated on a grand scale and pomp, have a particularly unique flavor.
How to choose a couple
In the gypsy environment, marriages are created very early. Parents are very worried that the young ones do not clear up and do not “spoil”.
Gypsies do not go on dates, discos, parties. Often, future young people meet at other weddings.
Gypsy weddings have a tradition of calling young people into the dance circle to perform. They dance in turn, and each performs his own ritual dance, depending on his temperament. And in this way, young people look at each other.
Most often, parents enter into a marriage agreement when the children are very young. But there are times when they get acquainted by "accidental non-randomness." For example, they find out that there is a marriageable bride in another city, they go to that city, andstay overnight. In the evening, they talk at the table, and if the girl fits in all respects, she gets married.
Currently, these customs have softened a little, but the role of parents in choosing a couple is still quite significant, since each family prefers to see people from decent and noble families as their future relatives.
Pre-wedding traditions
Gypsy society adheres to the customs of a caste system, similar to the one that exists in India.
Before the wedding, there are special customs (some of them directly depend on the position in society and the welfare of families):
- The young people are blessed with the icon only in very we althy families, the middle and lower strata are blessed with bread.
- If the parents do not approve of the choice of the young, "bride stealing" is practiced. She is kidnapped and brought to the young man's house. After that, a very modest wedding is played, and all the expenses for the celebration are borne by the brides' relatives.
- If there is mutual agreement, then the bride's relatives are paid a considerable bride price, and after that the wedding is held for three days. The ransom is a kind of compensation to the bride's family for the loss of an assistant. Parents partially return this money as a gift to young people.
Matchmaking
It is with this ritual that preparations for the wedding begin. Parents themselves look for spouses for their children. As a rule, the decision to unite families is made by adults when the bride and groom are still children. It is then that it is determinedwhen will the wedding be and how much the father expects to receive for the daughter.
During the ceremony of matchmaking there are always two attributes:
- Birch branch, it is hung with money, gold, coins.
- Loaf. It is baked according to a special recipe by the bride's relatives. Presented on a beautiful towel.
Matchmakers with the father of the bride come to the table, and if the father allows traditional attributes to be put on the table, then he agrees to the wedding.
It should be noted that during the matchmaking women are not present in the room, the "contract" is only between the men of the two families.
After the ritual, preparations for the celebration begin.
Wedding color
Gypsies have red as a symbol of joy, happiness and passion. It is always present in the clothes of the newlyweds, guests, and it is this color that decorates the holiday.
Red flags are hung in the houses of the bride and groom, the red ribbon is a mandatory attribute of the suits of all men, the groom has red and white.
Time and custom of celebration
Gypsy weddings are held at any time of the year, but most of all they love the summer period. An ancient tradition is associated with this preference, where low tables used to be set and guests sat on the ground, which was covered with carpets.
Currently, of course, all weddings are celebrated in cafes and restaurants. But the love for summer celebrations remained.
The holiday lasts three days, the richest gypsy wedding can last a week.
On the first day there is a bachelorette party, whichincludes a bargaining rite, but this is just a tribute to tradition.
After that, everyone sits down at the tables. Moreover, for women and men they are covered in different sides of the hall, even the bride and groom do not sit together. After a certain time, the matchmakers shake hands, kiss, hug - which means that the agreement is finally concluded.
The time of the ritual gypsy dance at the wedding begins. The groom's father invites the bride, then friends and girlfriends of the young are called into the circle. The first day, as a rule, ends after the dance, as the most important and responsible day is ahead.
The second day is the wedding day itself. From the very morning, relatives and friends help the bride to dress up. Music plays in her house, songs are sung, the table is laid.
The bride puts on her wedding dress and dances in front of the guests. After that, she is carried in her arms to the groom's house.
A banquet is held in the house of a young man or in a restaurant. Before the festive table, the bride and groom are blessed with an icon and bread, given expensive gifts, and water with sweets is poured under their feet so that the life of the young is sweet and happy.
During the banquet, the young are escorted with songs and dances to a separate room to perform the ritual of the wedding night.
On the third day, be sure to cook lamb soup. They pronounce traditional congratulations and put out the dowry for everyone to see. Nowadays it is gold, money, jewelry. So the girl’s family demonstrates to the guests that she did not come to her husband’s house empty-handed, and in the event of a divorceshe can take her things with her.
Customs and peculiarities
There are a number of features of a gypsy wedding:
- The groom's family pays for the banquet in full. To play the best gypsy wedding, parents start saving money from the birth of a boy. A chic wedding is a matter of honor for the family, so preparations are taken very seriously and responsibly.
- Festive tables are amazing. They are bursting with food, alcohol flows like a river. But no one gets drunk because it's a big disgrace in the community.
- Men are usually dressed in formal suits. Married women wear traditional clothes and cover their heads. Single girls can come in pantsuits.
- At a beautiful gypsy wedding, a fraternization ceremony is always performed, which symbolizes the eternal bond of the young. Small incisions are made on their fingers, then they are crossed, thus mixing their blood.
- Couples do not formalize marriage. But for Orthodox gypsies, a wedding is mandatory.
Custom "Carrying out honor"
The first wedding night takes place during the wedding celebration. A special room is being prepared for the young. Two witnesses remain right next to her.
After the guests take out a tray with a sheet, and the bride appears in the hall already dressed in a red dress, with a covered head and an apron.
If the bride turned out to be not innocent, the marriage is terminated at the same second, and the family is covered with terrible shame. The family will even have to change their place of residence, andthe girl will most likely never get married again.
Why is the bride crying?
At a wedding, no matter how cheerful it is, the bride always cries. And there are reasons for this:
- A married woman is forbidden to wear trousers, dresses and skirts must be below the knee, her head must be covered with a headscarf.
- It is forbidden to meet with girlfriends.
- The young wife does all the housework, cooks, does laundry, cleans.
- A wife has no right to contradict and disobey her husband.
- She is not allowed to cheat.
Every action at a gypsy wedding is centuries-old traditions and customs. Each ritual is aimed at creating a happy family life. And the minimum number of divorces is the best confirmation that the values of the people are still relevant.
