Never get out of a house on another door except for the one you entered, as it will bring bad luck. Often portrayed as exotic and strange . Not getting dressed properly is also bad. However, breaking a mirror is a completely different thing. It must have taken a while to collect them all. Even as adults, myself and my sisters are warned by our family not to accept food or drink from people who are not related to us, just in case they do not follow our rules or customs such as how we wash dishes. Superstitions. There was also an understanding that no-one should upset or talk negatively about me. Lisa Boswell is an award-winning divination teacher who currently resides in Scotland. If my grandmother had an illness and then I caught it, she would believe I got ill because I didnt give her enough sympathy. The Romani people, historically called Gitanos, Kale, Manush, or (pejoratively) Gypsies, are a major ethnic group. This is just one of the many superstitions in Romania that cant really be explained logically, but which exists. Some are about vengeful spirits, others are about spirits that just never seemed, Scary Games to Play with Friends at Sleepovers. If you play with a knife, the angels will run away from you, and if you play with fire, you will pee in your bed. Irish Travellers and Romany Gypsies are distinct ethnic groups with their own belief structures, languages and customs. Dont spit it, go back home walking backwards, go to your bed, and there spit the water out of your mouth; at night you will dream your chosen one bringing you a glass of water. It is a common occurrence for non-Gypsies to hashtag #gypsy or #gypsy life while spending a lazy day at the beach, hair out, not a worry in the world. 1. Thank you very much, Christian. A gypsy is a member of a people originating in South Asia and traditionally having a wandering way of life, living widely scattered across Europe and North and South America and speaking a language (Romani) that is related to Hindi; a Romani person. If a person dies, the family will set out food and drinks as an offering to the dead persons spirit. Seeing an ambulance brings bad luck unless you pinch your nose right away or hold your breath until you see a brown or a black dog. Our focus is not on, you have caught certain conditions. 36. With these in mind, lets check out some of the funniest Romanian superstitions I can think of. Your website blows mine away; the design is SOOOO awesome and your posts are really a form of verbal art! 11. If a cat washes her face and paws in the hallway, it means guests are coming. (but I cant figure out what). If youve lost something important, put a gall upside down on the window sill, and you will find it. "Gypsies" were considered dirty, deceitful, too lazy to work, and prone to steal. 48. If you bite your tongue while eating, its because youve recently told a lie. Sign up for the newsletter and get notified each time we publish a new post. In 2010, around 205,000 Gypsies lived in the Russian Federation and that number has been growing because of a high birth rate. Regarding keeping windows open thats definitely a belief here. Knock on wood. You must never put a pair of shoes on a table; if you do you will get bad luck. We are an ethnic race who can trace our origins back to India. To many, Romania is still a land of myth and legend. ), 28. Romani folklore encompasses the folktales, myths, oral traditions, and legends of the Romani people. When you hear the sound of a turtle-dove, stop, turn around three times, remove your left shoe, and inside you will find a hair just like the hair of your chosen one. 23. To break the curse, gypsies will spit three times and then turn around. 3. Kidnapping of the Bride. If a Gypsy woman accidentally drops a piece of glass, she will pick it up and rub her fingers over the sharp edges to protect herself from injury. If you keep a dry frog in your bag and wear it with you all time, it will keep epilepsy away from you. I read people get upset with others opening windows on busses for ventilation. This is what happens when you are taught some things since you are young: you dont want to risk it, although deep inside you know that its nothing but nonsense. Ficowski, Jerzy; Borski, Lucia Merecka; Mikolaycak, Charles. It refers to the Romani people, or Roma.1 These people have a peculiar belief system described below.2 "Gypsy" also refers to a few ethni- Historians believe that the original Romani population who migrated to Europe were distrusted by the Europeans as a displaced people with a strange, nomadic lifestyle. If your left hand is itching, you will spend some money. "Gypsy magic" rides a strange middle-land between neopaganism and hereditary witchcraft because often, much is borrowed from the unbroken lineage of the practitioner's ancestors. They migrated widely, particularly to Europe. Gypsies in Russia. . . Charles Leland, an expert in folklore, wrote about Gypsy ways in the late 1800s. The anonymous source refers to these individuals as "career gypsies." . Isnt there something about draftswindows kept shut to prevent drafts which During spring, if you go to a party, take a sip of water. Gypsies believe that, if a child is born on the seventh day after Christmas and baptized before sunset of his or her birthday then he or she will be lucky for seven years. Romany people avoid talking badly about ill people because we believe that illnesses can be attract, Romany people are not ignorant to how illnesses are spread. If a raven is near a sick person, then there is no chance of recovery for that person. This means that they view all other Romani people as relatives, and will treat them with respect and kindness. A baby born at full moon will be lucky. Have you heard of this one at all or have any likely origins from your research? Gypsy History and Folklore. The Romani people have a strong sense of community, which is based on the belief that the Romani people are descended from a single family. The most heinous accusation was that they kidnapped the young, a charge frequently hurled against Jews as well. Its not good to spill salt on the table, either because you will get into a fight with somebody you know. You are not allowed to take out the trash on the 1st of January, because that will bring bad luck. If 13 people sit at a table, one of them will surely die before the end of the year. Around half live in cities with the rest in rural settings. They focused their spells toward matters of love, protecting farm animals, keeping people healthy, a sprinkling of luck, curses toward guilty parties (often to weed them out . Gypsies are highly suspicious of outsiders and vet everyone who they come into contact with. Bogdan. Never wish "Good luck" to a fisherman. Genetic research has shown that the Roma descend from a single group of people who left northwestern India 1,500 years ago. 28. Watch out, supernatural fans, things could get really weird! If your palm is itching, you will either receive money or you will get beaten. Published March 26, 2017 | By shirleytwofeathers. Gypsy is also used as a description for a nomadic or "free-spirited . Never beat animals during your pregnancy, or your baby will be born very hairy. However, I did a lot of research when I decided to put together this piece, and I can assure you that all of them are based on reality. The image of the Gypsy conjures up ideas of a carefree people, who live life without rules and restrictions. 33. The customs and rituals for engagements and marriages described here are traditional and vary for the many Roma tribes around the world. 53. I will mark this myth as DEBUNKED! There was also an understanding that no-one should upset or talk negatively about me. 42. 31. Contrary to popular belief, we did not choose this life; we are born Gypsies. The vast majority of Romany laws revolve around the belief that the universe is separated into what is clean and what is dirty (. Updated 27th October 2020. Your email address will not be published. I was told not to boil eggs at night or the devil will come or not shaving or getting haircuts on Mondays, dont stir drinks with a knife and dont go out with wet hair or a current of wind will make you sick. Is it True for Christians That 'Once Saved, Always Saved'? These are all I can think of right now. Gypsies also believe that they should not wash their hair on Easter Sunday, as this will bring them bad luck. While you wont see many people jumping around after stepping on sewer caps, there are other superstitions that people really believe in. The Romanies follow several differentfaiths, adopting the predominant religion of their particular country of residence. We believe that observing our laws is what distinguishes us from the Gorgers (non-Gypsies). Romani funeral traditions are characterized by abundance. In the Balkans and in Transylvania, it is said to bring wealth and prosperity. 9. If you were a bridesmaid three times, you will remain unmarried. Danior is an unusual choice among our male gypsy names, derived from the Romani word "dand," meaning "tooth," ultimately from the Sanskrit "danta.". Though their exact origins are unclear, central India is a notable point of origin. If you give away knife you will have bad luck. If you have your mouth opened while conceiving your baby, you will give birth to a girl. Its important to note that many of the nations criticized for discriminating against the Romani are largely Christian nations, i.e. Irish Travellers and people who work on fairgrounds are not Gypsies. Europe has the largest Romani/Gypsy population, home to an estimated 10 to 12 millionRoma, most of whom live in Central and Eastern Europe. Ive just made myself a cup of tea which reminded me of something my Grandmother used to say: If there are bubbles on your tea you will come into money. Unfortunately there are no bubbles on my tea. Im glad you mentioned not breaking things willy-nilly to break away the bad luck. 9. No matter what others say about it, I will always love it. 31. Theres a lot of death based ones like sleeping with a fan on or whistling at night, yet playing with fire only causes wetting the bed??? Therefore, you can attract not only diseases, but unfortunate events such as broken bones to yourself by how you think or interact with other individuals. If you want to make a man fall in love with you then make him eat a cake in which you introduced a piece of your nail WTF?!?!? Ears Ringing Meaning Omen, Superstition or Myth? Some gypsy superstitions are more believable than others, such as the belief that a broken mirror will bring seven years of bad luck. Never make payments on a Monday, or else you will give money all week. 1. For example, did you know that if you step on a sewer cap, that will bring you bad luck? In fact, most of what we know about the Romani culture has been passed down through oral histories because the Romani language remains largely unwritten. If you are unfortunate enough to break one (willingly or not), prepare for 7 years of bad luck! Superstitions are avoided like the plague and anything Romani men and women can do to keep any evil energy away from expecting parents comes first. 24. 5. You can find out more about Lisa by visiting her website or following her on Twitter. At the same time, its very good to have the last drops from a bottle (usually of alcohol) in your glass. These superstitions are gathered from all over the country, so your friend might not be familiar with all of them. Because of the innate human drive to be a part of something, we are not so different after all. For example, because rats are marime, we call them things, the things or long things. We also have our own language, Romani, which is descended from Sanskrit. According to the 2011 census, 621,573 Roma people live in Romania, or 3.08% of the total population. Also known as 'Gypsies', the Roma are nomads who originated in India during the middle ages, and spread across a wide section of Eurasia, preserving a unique culture and language. 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