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Gypsy Culture

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Gypsies are an ethnic group, scattered throughout Europe and North America, who maintain a nomadic way of life in industrialized societies. They migrated from Northern India in around the 14th century and pride themselves on maintaining all elements of traditional gypsy culture. The most significant differences between my life and that experienced by Gypsy adolescents are evident in their family life, gender roles, educations and traditions.

The family life of gypsies is very different from my own experiences. The gypsy community highly value family life and tradition. Family homes are usually composed of different family members. Parents and grandparents whose health is poor will live with the eldest daughter and her family. The …show more content…

Dowries are considered old fashioned and are no longer existent and it is illegal to marry any of my relatives. As stated the family life of gypsies and my own experiences are very different.

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding was a mini-series that aired first in Britain and subsequently Australia. This mini-series was depicting the real lives of U.K. gypsy’s. It was very interesting to watch but the gender roles they showed were shocking, especially since they were based in a developed country. The lives of these gypsy women are run by men; they have no real say in their own existence. The show itself focused around the gypsy weddings because they are some of the most elaborate ceremonies to be found and they are the one day in these women’s lives that they have for themselves. The outfits that they show the women, throughout the whole show are quite revealing but the sexual restrictions are also quite tough. While these girls are taught that they should reveal their bodies to attract men, they are taught at the same time that they are not supposed to have sexual relations with anyone but your husband and only that on your wedding day. If women are found with men before they are married then they are shunned from the community. The courting ritual for these gypsy women is quite violent, a violence that often seems to spread to their

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