Romani culture

Romani culture encompasses the regional cultures of the Romani people. These cultures have developed through complex histories of interaction with their surrounding populations.
Romani people constitute the largest ethnic minority in Europe. They are believed to have resided in the Balkans since the 9th century, with their subsequent migration to other parts of the continent beginning in the 15th century. The Romani people in Europe belong to various subgroups such as the Boyash, Kalderash, Kalé, Kaale, Lăutari, Lovari, Manouche, Romanichal, Romanisael, Romungro, Ruska, Sinti and Vlax. Despite a history of persecution in the continent, they have maintained their distinct cultures. There is also a significant Romani population in the Americas, stemming from later migrations from Europe.
Romani people place emphasis on the importance of family and traditionally uphold strict moral values. Traditionally, it was custom among some Romani to maintain a nomadic lifestyle.
Linguistic and phonological research has established that Romani people originated in the Indian subcontinent, with most reports specifying northwestern India as their region of origin, although some imply a central Indian origin. The Romani language shares many features with Sanskrit and the Central Indo-Aryan languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, Rajasthani and Urdu; it also shares connections with Northern Indo-Aryan languages such as Kashmiri. The language also contains Arabic, Armenian, Greek and Persian loanwords.
There are also legends surrounding the origins of the Roma. For example, some Roma believe that they are the descendants of musicians from India who were led by the Persian king Bahram V from India to Iran at A.D. 420–438, before wandering over the Silk Road to Europe.
Despite the Indian origins of the Romani people, Romani cultures have various other cultural influences and Indian elements in modern Romani cultures are limited, with the exception of the language.
The Romani people are today found across the world. Typically, Roma adopt given names that are common in the country of their residence. Seldom do modern Roma use the traditional name from their own language, such as Čingaren. Romanes is the only Indo-Aryan language that has been spoken exclusively around Europe since the Middle Ages. Speakers use many terms for their language. They generally refer to their language as Čingari čhib or řomani čhib translated as 'the Romani language', or rromanes, 'in a Rom way'. The English term, Romani, has been used by scholars since the 19th century, where previously they had used the term 'Gypsy language'.
Traditionally, Roma place a high value on the extended family.
Marriage in Romani society underscores the importance of family and demonstrates ties between different groups, often transnationally. Traditionally an arranged marriage is highly desirable. It is custom for the parents of the groom to pay the family of the bride. Parents of the potential bridal couple help identify an ideal partner for their child. Parents may pressure a particular spouse on their child, because it is an established norm to be married by your mid-twenties. School, church, Mosques, circumcision ceremonies, fiancée and weddings, and other events are also popular environments for finding a prospective spouse. Potential couples are expected to be supervised or chaperoned by an adult. With the emergence of both social media such as Facebook and mobile phones, and the advancing education of women, many traditional mores and conservative views have become less rigid. In some Romani groups, for example the Finnish Roma, the idea of a legally registered marriage is ignored altogether.
The Romani practice of child marriage in certain countries of southeastern Europe has generated substantial controversy across the world. In 2003, one of the many self-styled Romani "kings", Ilie Tortică, prohibited marriage before the parties were of legal age in their country of residence. A Romani patriarch, Florin Cioabă, ran afoul of Romanian authorities in late 2003 when he married off his youngest daughter, Ana-Maria, at the age of twelve, well below the legal marriageable age.
Bride kidnapping (not to be confused with the Romanian bride kidnapping tradition) is believed to be a traditional part of Romani practice. Girls as young as twelve years old may be kidnapped for marriage to teenage boys. This practice has been reported in Ireland, England, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Bulgaria and Slovakia. Bride kidnapping is thought to be a way to avoid a bride price or a means for a girl to marry a boy she wants but that her parents do not want. The tradition's normalisation of kidnapping puts young women at higher risk of becoming victims of human trafficking.
The practices of bride kidnapping and child marriage are not universally accepted throughout Romani culture. Some Romani women and men seek to eliminate such customs.
The Muslim Roma adopted the Islamic marital practices.
Romani mothers breastfeed their children for optimal health and increased immunity. They also view this as a gift from God, and a help to building healthy relationships between mothers and children.
Homosexuality, sodomy and oral sex are prohibited.
The blood revenge, blood feud or vendetta is an old form of private vengeance, which is usually intended to restore Romani family honor by killing an opponent. It only occurs after serious damage to honor, such as the killing itself, which no other damage compensation within the feud can do justice to.
Clothes for the lower body, as well as the clothes of menstruating women, are washed separately. Items used for eating are washed in a different place.
Childbirth is considered "impure" and must occur outside the dwelling place; the mother is considered "impure" for 40 days.
The Muslim Roma (Horahane) in the Balkans adopted the Islamic culture during the Ottoman Empire period, and so did the Ritual purity in Islam.
Romani people wash dishes with bleach.
For bathing, Romani individuals enter a spacious tub filled with water situated on the ground within the tent, where they stand and cleanse only the lower half of their bodies. The face and upper body are washed using water from a pan supported by a tripod, which is poured over the face and upper body with cupped hands, allowing the water to flow down into the tub. Romani men may wash their faces and upper bodies outside, without a shirt. Each Romani family member bathes in order of age. One bar of soap is designated for the upper body, while another is used for the lower body.
Clothes worn by Romani women and Romani men, as well as those that cover the upper and lower body, are laundered and hung to dry separately. In certain Romani communities, the clothing of Romani elderly individuals is also washed and dried separately, reflecting a sign of respect and to prevent any potential defilement from coming into contact with the garments of sexually active family members.
Christian Romani people incorporate their values into how they raise their children. There is an element of impurity placed upon both the mother and father after the mother gives birth. This impurity is lessened if the child is a male and the family is considered "lucky". Traditionally, the couple will live with the father of the groom until their first child is born. Romani people place high value on extended family so godparents, along with this other family, are active in the child's life to ensure its well-being.
Among Christian Romani people, godparenthood (known as kirvipen or kirvimos) is a widespread phenomenon, acting as a form of kinship rather than a religious form. Godparents were traditionally sought from within the Romani community but outside the extended family. Initially, the godparents' role is to assist in the baptism ceremony, where they bring presents such as clothes, jewelry, and money for the child, who often receives their name from their godparent. After the baptism, the godparents serve to support the godchild's family when in need, and to raise the child in the parent's absence. They are expected to participate and give presents in the most significant events of the godchild's life, including the first day of school and their wedding. Godparenthood is considered an honour and brings respect to the godparent in the community, with the level of respect being proportional to the number of godchildren the godparent has.
There are differences between the culture and traditions of Dasikane (Christian) Roma and Horahane (Muslim) Roma. Romani culture and traditions often vary according to country, subgroup and religion.
Romanipen (also romanypen, romanipe, romanype, romanimos, romaimos, romaniya) is a concept of Romani philosophy encompassing totality of the Romani spirit, culture, law, being a Rom, and a set of Romani strains.
An ethnic Rom is considered to be a Gadjikane Roma in Romani society if the person has no Romanipen. Sometimes a Gadjo, usually an adopted child, may be considered to be a Rom if the person has Romanipen. As a concept, Romanipen has been the subject of interest to numerous academic observers. It has been hypothesized that it owes more to a framework of culture than simply an adherence to historically received rules.
Significant changes in Romani culture following the Second World War have been attributed to the suspension of these social norms, as strict rules relating to food and contact with certain classes of people broke down. This period also coincided with a perceived loss of authority invested in traditional leaders, the primary maintainers of Romanipen. Furthermore, the Roma who found themselves under Soviet control during the war, while deported to the east of the Urals and often persecuted, were generally left alone to follow their orthodox practices and thus preserved strict interpretations of Romanipen. However, the Roma who lived in other countries of eastern Europe, in the face of widespread discrimination and society's attempts at forced assimilation, often had to compromise their strict interpretation of the customs to survive. As a result, the whole concept of Romanipen became interpreted differently among various Roma groups. Muslim Roma, as one example, considered an uncircumcised man to be impure.
A considerable punishment for a Christian Rom is banishment from Romani society. An expelled person is considered to be "contaminated" and is shunned by other Christian Romanis.
Ashkali and Balkan Egyptians like the Turcoman Gypsies and Crimean Roma are not part of the Romani society due to the lack of Romanipen and the Romani language.
Romani Code, or Romano Zakono, is the most important part of Romanipen. It is a set of rules for Romani life, different than Romani religions.
Though Romani ethnic groups have different sets of rules, Oral Romani cultures are most likely to adhere to the Romani code, although these communities are geographically spread.
The Romani Code is not written; Romani people keep it alive in oral tradition.
The kris is a traditional institution for upholding and enforcing the Romani Code.
The code can be summarised in pillars; the main pillar representing the polar ideas of baxt (pronounced [baxt], bah-kht) meaning 'honour' and ladž (or laʒ, pronounced [ladʒ], lah-j) meaning 'shame'.
It is honourable, in some Romani cultures, to celebrate baxt by being generous and displaying your success to the public. The focus on generosity means sharing food is of great importance to some groups of Roma. Making lavish meals to share with other Romani visitors is commonplace and in some cases not having food to share is considered shameful.
The vast majority of Roma are Christians. They are Catholic Manouche, Mercheros, and Sinti; Muslim Ashkali and Romanlar; Pentecostal Kalderash and Lovari; Protestant Travellers; Anglican Roma; and Baptist Roma. The Roma's religious beliefs are occupied by God and Virgin Mary.
The ancestors of the Romani people followed the Hindu religion. This is supported by the Romani word for 'cross', trushul, which is the word which describes Shiva's trident (Trishul) and additionally folk tales and songs about Hindu-esque deities. A Hindu foundation means that the concept of Kuntari, a universal balance, is central to the people's spirituality. Kuntari means that all things belong in the universe according to their natural place. If something does not fit into its natural place, it is considered to be out of balance, and therefore bad luck. For example, birds are supposed to fly, so flightless birds like hens are considered to be out of balance and bad luck. For this reason, Christian Roma traditionally do not eat hens' eggs, with the exception of the Muslim Roma, who eat eggs and even have special recipes for them.
Roma also believed in the concept of Kintala, which is almost identical to Karma except one's actions in life only influence the reincarnation; the bad happenings are not caused by sins of a previous life, rather by bad Dji and unclean spirits (the Necuxa).
The concept of Dji is one's spiritual energy which must be kept in balance by following Marime and other spiritual laws. The better a person one is and the more balanced their Dji is, the better life they will reincarnate into.
Some also worshipped the spirits of their ancestors, while the Christian Roma were completely opposed to anything that messes with the dead.
Roma believed in a god who is one with the universe and manifests themselves in the forms of many deities:
The Roma clans and tribes followed plenty of other gods and practiced many variation of this faith system, there is no one name for a god or one rule as each group had a unique variation.
In Balkan Romani, an Orthodox Christian Roma is called a Dasikane or Daskane or Das; the meaning is sometimes given as a slave or servant.
Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla is considered a patron saint of the Romani people in Roman Catholicism. Virgin of Hope of Macarena is considered a patron saint of the Spanish Gypsies.
Saint Sarah, or Kali Sara, has been revered as a patron saint in the same manner as the Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla, but a transition occurred in the 21st century, whereby Kali Sara is understood as an Indian deity brought by the refugee ancestors of the Romani people, thereby removing any Christian association. Saint Sarah is progressively being considered as "a Romani goddess, the Protectress of the Roma" and an "indisputable link with Mother India". The Roma pilgrimage for the dark-skinned Saint Sara in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is said to have possibly been the Egyptian servant of the three Marys. The day of the pilgrimage honouring Sarah is May 24; her statue is carried down to the sea on this day to re-enact her arrival in France.
Roma often adopt the dominant religion of their host country if a ceremony associated with a formal religious institution is necessary, such as a baptism or funeral (their particular belief systems and indigenous religion and worship remain preserved regardless of such adoption processes). Some Roma continue to practice "Shaktism", a practice with origins in India, whereby a female consort is required for the worship of a god. Adherence to this practice means that for the Romani who worship a Christian God, prayer is conducted through the Virgin Mary, or her mother, Saint Anne. Shaktism continues over 1,000 years after the people's separation from India.
Romani elders serve as spiritual leaders; there are no specific Christian Roma priests, churches, or Christian Roma scriptures, the exception being the Pentecostal Roma, most in Western society.
Within the United Kingdom, a large proportion of British Roma (40% by some estimates) are members of Light and Life, a Charismatic Pentecostal Christian movement.
It is a custom among Muslim Roma that the foreskin must be buried after Sunet Bijav (see religious male circumcision ceremony). They believe the foreskin will come back to men in Paradise (Jannah), based a Hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari 6524: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "You will be raised on the Day of Judgement barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised (with foreskin)." Burying the foreskin is also a tradition among Malaysian Muslims.
Balkan Roma Muslims are mostly cultural Muslims or nominal Muslims. For the Muslim Romani communities that have resided in the Balkans for centuries, often referred to as Horahane Roma or "Turkish Gypsies", all Muslim Roma got a Religious male circumcision, the following histories apply for religious beliefs:
In the Balkans, the Roma of North Macedonia and southern Serbia, including the disputed territory of Kosovo, have been particularly active in Islamic mystical brotherhoods (Sufism)—Muslim Roma immigrants to Western Europe and America have brought these traditions with them.
Ukraine and Russia contain Romani Muslim populations, as the families of Balkan migrants continue to live there. The descendants' ancestors settled on the Crimean peninsula during the 17th and 18th centuries, but most descendants migrated to Ukraine, southern Russia and the Povolzhie (along the Volga River). Formally, Islam is the religion that these communities align themselves with, and the people are recognised for their staunch preservation of the Romani language and identity.
Most Eastern European Roma are Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Muslim. Those in Western Europe and the United States are mostly Roman Catholic or Protestant. In southern Spain, many Roma are Pentecostal, but this is a small minority that has emerged in contemporary times. In Egypt, the Roma are split into Christian and Muslim populations. For countless years, dance has been considered a religious procedure for the Egyptian Roma. In Turkey, the Romani people are Muslim and the males are circumcised, while the majority of Roma in Latin America have maintained their European religions, with most following Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
Since World War II, a growing number of Roma have embraced Evangelical movements. For the first time, Roma became ministers and created their own, autonomous churches and missionary organizations. In some countries, the majority of Roma belong to Romani churches. This unexpected change has greatly contributed to a better image of Roma in society. The work they perform is seen as more legitimate, and they have begun to obtain legal permits for commercial activities.
Theravada Buddhism linked to the Dalit Buddhist movement of B.R. Ambedkar has spread among European Roma, particularly in Hungary, although it is still a minority.
Some Romani people converted to Judaism through a Jewish spouse.
There are records of Romani women practicing fortune-telling dating back centuries, using techniques such as palm reading. It often served as a means of income, and was typically passed from mother to daughter. In 1747 and later again in 1824, palm-reading was made illegal in Britain, which lead to it becoming a covert practice. Romani fortune tellers were traditionally known as drabardi. While it was practiced as a trade aimed at non-Romani, known as Gadje or Gorjas, it was virtually never practiced amongst Romani themselves.
However, the notion that Romani people have psychic powers (e.g. fortune-teller) is also a stereotype, sometimes still present to this day, and some romantics attribute the invention of the Tarot cards to them.
Some traditional Romani dances have distant roots in Indian dance. A Romani dance with origins in India is the snake dance. Romani women perform the sapera dance with a cobra to awaken their reptilian powers, mantras and to curse menacing victims forever.
Belly dance is performed by the Romani people in Turkey.
As the Roma traveled to other countries from India to Europe, the Roma introduced many influences in their music, beginning with their Indian roots and adding elements of Greek, Persian, Turkish, Romanian, Czech and Slavic influence, as well as Western European such as German, French and Spanish influences.
The lăutari who perform at traditional Romanian weddings are virtually all Roma, although their music draws heavily from a vast variety of ethnic traditions—for example Romanian, Turkish, Jewish, and Slavic—as well as Romani traditions. Probably the most internationally prominent contemporary performer in the lăutari tradition is Taraful Haiducilor. Zdob şi Zdub, one of the most prominent rock bands in Moldova, although not Roma themselves, draw heavily on Romani music, as do Spitalul de Urgenţă in Romania.
Flamenco music and dance came from the Roma in Spain; the distinctive sound of Romani music has also strongly influenced bolero, jazz, and Cante Jondo in Europe. European-style Gypsy jazz is still widely practised among the original creators (the Romani People); one who acknowledged this artistic debt was Django Reinhardt.
Belly dancing is a form of dance invented by The Domari of Egypt or Ghawazi, however it was originally seen as "ghetto" and "low class" until the native Egyptians and the Europeans saw and emulated it. Nowadays there are very few original Ghawazi dancers due to the exile and expulsions and discrimination which caused many to go out of work and emigrate.
Romani music is very important in Eastern European cultures such as Hungary, Russia, and Romania. Performance practices by Romani musicians have influenced European classical composers such as Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms.
The Romani language is spoken by millions of Romani people throughout the world. It is of the Indo-Aryan branch. Many Romani people can speak two or more languages. It is not considered an official language because it varies from tribe to tribe. Romani is influenced by Persian, Greek, Armenian, Iranic, Georgian and Arabic.
Each June, Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month is celebrated in London. International Romani Day is a holiday celebrated in Europe on April 8, especially in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. World Roma Festival is a festival celebrated in Prague. Ederlezi and Kakava are holidays celebrated in spring by the Turkish Roma.
Romani Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25 and Easter in either April or May. Romani adults may also fast on these holidays and may eat special foods for these holidays.
Romani people in Serbia celebrate Bibi and Bibijako Djive.
World Day of Romani Language is celebrated every November 5.
The Romani flag serves as the international emblem for the Romani community. It was designed by the General Union of the Roma of Romania in 1933. The flag's design initially had two horizontal bars, the bottom being green the top being blue; green representing the earth and terrestrial values, and blue representing the heavens and spiritual values. The flag was adopted as the common flag for Romani people at the inaugural World Romani Congress in London in 1971 with the addition of the Roma chakra. The elements of the flag are inter-related, representing the Romani people's path of growth in the physical and spiritual planes throughout life.
The Roma chakra serves as a significant emblem of the identity and culture of the Romani people. The symbol, resembling a Hindu chakra, is a red wagon wheel with 16 spokes. It resembles the wheels of vardo or trailers which served as a home for travelling Roma families, representing the tradition of Romani travellers. The wheel's red colour represents blood that many Roma shed during World War II and those who suffered during the Romani genocide. However, the colour may vary by country or organization, such as in the flag of the Roma movement in Croatia, where the chakra is gold-coloured.
The Romani community employs the slogan "Opre Roma," translating to "Stand Up, Roma!" in the Romani language. This phrase was initially introduced during the Cold War at the inaugural World Romani Congress held on April 8, 1971.
The Romani anthem was established in 1971 during the World Romani Congress. This anthem draws its inspiration from the folk song "Gyelem, Gyelem," with the lyrics attributed to Yugoslav Rum and Zarko Jovanovic.
There exist four well-known Romani theatres in the world, Romen Theatre, Romance Theatre, Romanothan and Phralipe, and also many small theatres.
There are some Romani museums in Europe.
The Museum of Romani Culture is located in Brno in the Czech Republic.
Romani people do not eat food prepared by a non-Roma.
Horse meat is forbidden by Christian Roma. Any Christian Roma who eats horse meat, are punished and banished from their tribe. Cat meat and dog meat are also forbidden and are considered unclean.
Christian Romani tea is similar to Russian tea and stuffed cabbage is popular among the Roma. Berries, vegetables, mushrooms, hedgehog, game and fowl are favored by the Roma.
The Muslim Roma (Horahane) in the Balkans adopted the Islamic culture during the Ottoman Empire period.
There is a Romani restaurant called Romani Kafenava in Maribor, Slovenia. Rabbit stew is a Romani favorite. Other Romani dishes are fried bread dishes, including xaritsa (fried cornbread), pufe (fried wheat bread) and bogacha (baked bread). A Romani dessert is pirogo, a sweet noodle casserole similar to Jewish kugel made with raisins, cream cheese, and butter.
Stews are common.
Hedgehogs are both eaten and given high status by the Roma.
Romani individuals are known for their sociable nature and often embrace spontaneous visits from relatives, neighbors, or friends as opportunities for social interaction. Their greetings are warm and include expressions of goodwill and wishes for good health. Generosity, particularly in the form of gift-giving, is regarded as a commendable trait; family members are willing to support one another and friends with financial assistance or other resources, such as food, clothing, or transportation via car or horse when necessary. Young people hold elders in high esteem, both within their families and in the broader community. They appreciate the wisdom of seniors. Referring to them as "old man" and "old woman." Both being terms that convey respect. The youth actively seek the counsel of elders for conflict resolution or guidance, demonstrating their respect by serving them first, allowing them to speak before others, and granting them the final word in serious discussions.
Romanian Roma use parsley leaves to heal bruises. Roma suffering from illness often seek treatment from a Romani doctor, an elderly Roma who uses traditional medicines such as herbs. Roma may refuse to seek medical help from non-Roma and use healers, magic, prayer or herbal remedies for illnesses. A drabarni is a Romani female healer. Many Romani classify illness into either romane nasvalimata (natural to Romani people such as heart problems, rashes, anxiety) or gadzikane nasvalimata (the result of contact with non- Roma, such as sexually transmitted diseases).
As many Roma are barred from receiving adequate healthcare as a result of discrimination in many countries in Europe, the general health status among Romani people is considerably poorer than non-Romani populations. High mortality rates is associated with Romani people in Europe. In Italy, estimates suggest that infant mortality rate among Roma babies is nearly three times higher than that of the national average. In addition, health indicators for Roma people – particularly female Roma – are often worse than for other groups in similarly disadvantaged socioeconomic positions.
Romani people suffer from poorer mental health. Relatively high rates of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression and anxiety, and suicide are found among the Roma. This is consequently caused by the fact they have been ostracized by other ethnic groups for much of their existence, living in poor living conditions among their comparably wealthier European and American counterparts, a lack of awareness and education on mental health, and a restricted access to proper healthcare.
Romani people have lower access to food, resulting in malnutrition and stunted growth, despite living in developed countries. Romani people are also more likely to partake in risky behaviours, including drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and tobacco smoking. In Europe and the Americas, both Roma men and women have significantly higher smoking rates than respective populations, and are more likely to die from preventable smoking-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and many cancers. Alcohol consumption rate is also high among the Roma.
Art among Romani people is important. It is associated with mobility, travelling, trading, creating transportable objects and music.
Turkish Roma traditionally wear Ottoman pants whereas as Christian Roma traditionally wear long skirts.
In most traditional Romani communities, Romani women tend to wear gold bracelets and gold necklaces and headscarves. Traditionally, in southeastern Europe, the headscarves were sometimes decorated with golden coins.
Romani literature is written by Romani people.
Romani people have their own ethnic hero. Among the Vlach Roma, it is Mundro Salamon or Wise Solomon. Other Romani groups call this hero O Godjiaver Yanko. Among the Welsh Kale, he is Merlinos (the Wizard), taken from Celtic folklore.
Romani people in Slovakia believe in the evil eye.
Boxing is popular among Roma.
Some Romani occupations are crafts like metalworking, playing music, animal trading, and fortune-telling.
Romani people have their own films.
Romani people are less educated than other people in country where they live. The primary reason for this is attributed to their culture, as they lack trust in schools and would rather segregate themselves. Generally speaking, 10% of Romani people, 20% of Romani boys and 25% of Romani girls are illiterate. The average literacy rate in europe is 98.77%.
In England, 60% of all pupils reached the expected standard in all of English reading, writing and mathematics. Of children identified as Gypsy/Roma, 18% met the expected standard. For those identified as Travellers of Irish Heritage, the figure was 21%. As is common across a range of education indicators, girls outperformed boys. 19% of Gypsy/ Roma girls, and 22% of Traveller of Irish Heritage girls reached the expected standard compared to 16% of Gypsy/ Roma boys, and 19% of Traveller of Irish Heritage boys. 31% of state-funded school pupils identified as Travellers of Irish Heritage attained GCSEs in English and maths at grade 4 or above – which is described as a ‘standard pass’. The figure for pupils identified Gypsy/Roma was lower, at 16%. Nationally, 65% of state-funded school pupils attained these qualifications. The total number of pupils identified as Traveller of Irish heritage and Gypsy/ Roma at the end of the secondary phase, key stage four, is very small. In the summer 2023 DfE data, there were around 1,400 Gypsy/ Roma pupils and 190 Travellers of Irish Heritage at the end of key stage four, out of around 607,000 pupils overall.
For Bulgaria in 2011 the share of Romani with university degree reached 0.3%, while 6.9% have secondary education; the same share was 22.8%/47.6% for Bulgarians.
The Roma traditionally travelled with wagons pulled by horses and donkeys. The Gypsy Cob is the most popular breed to pull vardo wagons.
Roma Futurism is an artistic movement that integrates elements of science fiction, the historical experiences of the Romani people, fantasy, Romani perspectives, magical realism, and innovative technology, alongside magical practices and healing rituals.
There are still tensions between Roma and the majority population around them. Common complaints are that Roma steal and live off social welfare and residents often reject Romani encampments. This has led to Roma being described as "perhaps the most hated minority in Europe." In the UK, travellers (referring to both Irish Travellers and Roma) became a 2005 general election issue, with Michael Howard, the then-leader of the Conservative Party promising to review the Human Rights Act 1998. This law, which absorbs the European Convention on Human Rights into UK primary legislation, is seen by some to permit the granting of retrospective planning permission for Romani communities. Severe population pressures and the paucity of greenfield sites have led to travellers purchasing land and setting up residential settlements almost overnight, thus subverting the planning restrictions imposed on other members of the community.
Travellers argued in response that thousands of retrospective planning permissions are granted in Britain in cases involving non-Romani applicants each year and that statistics showed that 90% of planning applications by Roma and travellers were initially refused by local councils, compared with a national average of 20% for other applicants, potentially disproving claims of preferential treatment favouring Roma. They also argued that the root of the problem was that many traditional stopping-places had been barricaded off and that legislation passed by the previous Conservative government had effectively criminalised their communities by removing local authorities' responsibility to provide sites, thus leaving the travellers with no option but to purchase unregistered new sites themselves.
Law enforcement agencies in the United States hold regular conferences on the Roma and similar nomadic groups.
In Denmark, there was much controversy when the city of Helsingør decided to put all Romani students in special classes in its public schools. The classes were later abandoned after it was determined that they were discriminatory and the Romani students were put back in regular classes.
Romani people have traditionally avoided gadjo because non-Romani are believed to be polluting and defile the Romani world.
The Greek Doctor A. G. Paspati made the statement in his Book from 1860, that Turks often married Roma Woman, and the Rumelian Romani dialect is nearly lost by the Muslim Turkish Roma, who speak entirely Turkish.
Ernest Gilliat-Smith explained in 1915 that this Turkish Roma in Bulgaria cannot speak Romani language, and compare them with very poor Turks rather than Romani people. The French orientalist Henri Bourgeois referred to the Turkish Roma as Pseudo Chingiane, especially the newspaper Laço who was published in 1910 by Emin Resa.
Many countries that were formerly part of the Eastern bloc and former Yugoslavia have substantial populations of Roma. The level of integration of Roma into society remains limited. In these countries, they usually remain on the margins of society, living in isolated, ghetto-like settlements (see Chánov). Only a small fraction of Romani children graduate from secondary schools, though numerous official efforts have been made, past and present, to compel their attendance. Roma frequently feel rejected by the state and the main population, creating another obstacle to their integration. The Muslim Roma (Horahane) in the Balkans adopted the Islamic culture during the Ottoman Empire period.
In the Czech Republic, 75% of Romani children are educated in schools for people with learning difficulties and 70% are unemployed, compared with a national rate of 9%. In Hungary, 44% of Romani children are in special schools, while 74% of men and 83% of women are unemployed. In Slovakia, Romani children are 28 times more likely to be sent to a special school than non-Roma, while Romani unemployment stands at 80%.
In 2004, Lívia Járóka and Viktória Mohácsi of Hungary became the two current Romani Members of the European Parliament. The first Romani MEP was Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia of Spain.
Seven former Communist Central European and Southeastern European states launched the Decade of Roma Inclusion initiative in 2005 to improve the socioeconomic conditions and status of the Romani minority.