How a gypsy funeral is held (20 photos)
In fact, they are citizens of the whole world, because representatives of the Roma people can be found in almost any country, so most of them still continue to adhere to a nomadic lifestyle, and this is in the 21st century! 
The culture of the Gypsies is strange and incomprehensible to many, but extremely interesting and multifaceted, since it intertwines the traditions and customs of different ethnic groups, which the Roma collected and carefully preserved over many centuries of their nomadic life. 
Creative gypsies
Today I would like to touch on the other extreme of the life of this unique people - funeral rites. Moreover, in my opinion, they are much more interesting and... original than wedding ones. The very attitude of gypsies towards funerals is surprising: they experience both disgust for death and respect for the deceased. 
Gypsy funeral
Moreover, for them the body of the deceased is part of the cult of their ancestors, so funeral ceremonies among gypsies are traditionally held at the highest level: expensive and rich, so to speak. 
Gypsy funeral
The aversion to death among the gypsy people is manifested in the fact that a person who, according to all forecasts, has only a few days, or even hours, left to live, is transferred from home to a separate tent under the constant supervision of one of his close relatives. 
Gypsy funeral
This is because Roma simply cannot afford to die in their bed, since their death would defile their home. When a person dies, he is not mourned in the traditional sense of the word. 
Gypsy funeral
Moreover, they are in no hurry to bury him, since before the funeral it is necessary to hold a wake - a celebration lasting 3-4 days. As a rule, all relatives and close friends are invited to the wake, who sing, dance and, of course, treat themselves throughout these 3-4 days. 
Gypsy wake
If the invited guests are sad, then the soul of the deceased in another world will be restless. In addition, all the food that remains after the funeral is not thrown away, but is buried in the ground so that it absorbs the energy of the other world. 
Gypsy wake
It comes to the funeral only on the last memorial day. However, before going to the cemetery, the gypsies prepare the body for burial, and the specifics of this process largely depend on the religious views of each particular gypsy community. 
Gypsy funeral
So, for example, Orthodox gypsies, before burial, wash the body of the deceased with a herbal decoction instead of water, and replace prayers with ritual spells. Then the deceased is dressed in bright clothes and jewelry is placed on him. After the preparation of the body of the deceased comes to an end, relatives and guests go to the cemetery, where, in fact, the burial ceremony will take place. 
Gypsy funeral
The personal belongings of the deceased are also lowered into the grave, previously paved with bricks, along with the coffin, among which can be all kinds of gadgets, jewelry, money, and even pieces of furniture! 
Gypsy funeral
Sometimes there are so many personal belongings that the family of the deceased has to use several burial places at once. It is impossible to leave in the house anything that belonged to the deceased, since it is believed that he might need all these things in another world. 
Gypsy funeral
The most interesting in this regard are the funerals of the gypsy barons, who consider the funeral to be just a move from one mansion to another. Their funerals are always held on an incredible scale, because the more money invested in this event, the better for the baron’s family - they will be treated with respect, and he will be remembered. 
Funeral of the Gypsy Baron
The funeral of a gypsy baron is thought out to the smallest detail: the optimal route to the cemetery is chosen (and the road itself along which the funeral cortege will follow is decorated) and sometimes even traffic is blocked so that the funeral procession gets to the cemetery “without traffic jams.” 
Funeral of the English Gypsy Queen
There are known cases when gypsy barons began to prepare their graves in advance of their expected death, and did everything possible to make being in them as comfortable as possible. And the matter was not limited to personal belongings or, say, money. 
Tomb of the Gypsy Baron
Enterprising barons installed expensive furniture, jewelry and interior items in their graves. 
Tomb of the Gypsy Baron
Sometimes they even buried their cars with them! And all so that in the next world they feel like the same “kings of the world” that they were considered during their lifetime. 
Tomb of the Gypsy Baron
By the way, the location of the graves directly depends on the status and wealth of the gypsies. Barons are usually buried in the center of the cemetery, and simpler people are buried in the far corners. 
Gypsy grave
Some time after the funeral, a monument is erected at the grave of the deceased gypsy, on which his full-length image is engraved. 
Gypsy grave
Pavilions are installed next to the grave so that gypsies can visit their relatives, and on the days of remembrance of the dead, they can hold memorial meals. 
Gypsy grave
