Culture and self-assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Culture and self-assessment - Essay Example They were also forced to settle but still managed to continue with their nomadic way of life with most of them living in Bulgaria and Romania. White christians excluded gypsies from their professions, and they resorted to fortune telling, iron making and trading animals. They also manufactured cheap household goods and sold them. The gypsies value family and both the man and the woman help each other. The man is the head and the woman is the heart of the family. Upbringing of children is a responsibility of all members of the community.The extended family is highly valued, and the family has a power structure and the oldest man in the family has most powers or has authority over the other members. Bringing and handling money was the responsibility of the woman. A romani has three names which are given at birth, after baptism and after second baptism in a Christian church. The first name given at birth and only known to the mother is meant to confuse the evil spirits. The second name given after getting baptized is used within the tribe and the third name is often used when dealing with non-Romas. The gypsy culture is diverse but believes that birth and death are unique and this custom is passed on through the generations. The gypsies live in groups of extended families and travel together providing each other with mutual support and companionship. The extended family is the basis for which work is divided, resources are shared and food is prepared and shared Children are often married off when they are teens, they consider them adults. The gypsies celebrate the birth of newborns and often invest in marriages that are done traditionally. They have high standards of hygiene and consider dogs and cats impure because they lick themselves. Several extended families combined form a nation through and share a traditional origin practising similar