Roma Religion
       The Romaniya sets the standards and enforces the beliefs most Roma adhere to.  This is not only a system of acceptable behavouir but the beliefes central to Roma society.  The exact beliefs are varied from tribe to tribe and country to count, however there are many belifes common to Roma everywhere.  For many of these shared belifes the only variated is to the degree which they are practiced or observed.  However, the Roma do not have a "religion" of their very own.  Usually, they adopt the faiths of the countries in which they live.  There are Roman Catholic Roma, Protestant Roma, Muslim Roma, and Eastern Orthodox Roma.  However, many Roma prefer to carry out religious rituals in their own homes or in the context of folk obersvances. 
       The annual pilgrimages to Saintes Maries de la Mer on the Mediterranean coast of France and Sainte Anne de Beaupre in Quebec, Canada are the most widely known Romani religious festivals.  The annual pilgrimage to Saintes-Maries de la Mer takes place in May in the Camargue region of France.  This is observed by Roma worldwide but ecspecaially Gitans, Roma, Sinti, and Manouches of France.  This festival's purpose is to pay repesct to Sara-la-Kali (Sara the Black).  The week before the celebration Gitans arrive in the evenings to the fortified chaple of Saintes-Maries de la Mer with guitars and violins.  A large central candle will be lit and then many smaller candles that each person holds high in their hands.  This is a time of fervent prayers where invocations are recited and children are presents to the statures of the saints.  This is also a time used to baptise the children in the church of Saints-Maries de la Mer.  `In Quebec, the Roma pay homage to Saint Anne on 26th of July.  These annual religious festivals are also used as social occassions for the Roma. 
        For practical purposes, the Roma have adopted the religions of those with whom they come into contact.  However, formal religion is often supplemented by faith in the supernatural, mainly omens and curses.  There is a great body of supersitions that vary among different Roma groups, but it's a factor in the lives of every Roma.  The Roma believe in their powers, as exemplified by their use of amria (curses) and healing rituals.  Also, for the benefit of the gadje they practice fortune telling for money.  The Roma do not practice fortune telling among themselves.  The fortune teller, who is always a woman, is called a "drabardi."  The concept of fortune telling contains many elements that are misleadingly grouped together.  One element is foretelling the future, called "darbaripe" or "drabarimos."  Another element relates to healing powers, these the Roma do in fact practice among themselves.  The healing elements of fortune telling are called "advising."  Both of these elements are based on a belief in the supernatural. 
       This beliefe in the supernatural is seen in other parts of Romani life.  Good luck charms, talismans, and amulets are common among Roma.  These are carred to heal sickness or prevent misfortune.  The female healer who prescribes these traditional preventatives or cures is called a "drabarni" or "dragbengi."  Some Roma carry bread in their pockets as protection against "bibaxt" (bad luck), ghosts or supernatural spirits (mulo).  Like some non-Roma, horseshoes are considered good luck.  Some Roma even feel illness is an unnatural condition called "prikaza" and there are many supernatural ways in which they believe disease can be cured or prevented.  A method of lowering a fever is to shake a young tree.  During this cure, the fever is transferred from the sick person's body to the tree.  Another method to bring down a fever is to drink powdered portions of certain animals which have been dissolved in spirits while being accompanied by a chant.  To prevent a toothache carry a hadgehog's foot and a mole's foot can be carried to cure rheumatism.  Many "drab" (herbs) are used for the curing and prevention of various diseases.  Unlike fortune telling, herbalism may be practiced by both women and men.  Some herbs have medicinal value as well as magical value; these herbs are called "sastarimaskodrabarb." 

      There are certain taboos in Roma society that are clearly defined.  Much of the society of the Roma relies on distinctions between "vujo" (pure) and "wuzho" (polluted) behaviour.  The wuzho behavouirs are also "marime."  marime has two meanings to the Roma.  It is a state of pollution or defilement and the sentecent of expulsion imposed for violation of purity rules or any disruptive behaviour to the Roma community.  Rejection and pollution are exteremly closely related to each other.  Pollution taboos, and their names, vary from group to group and even among smaller Romani units.  However, Roma define themsleves by their adherence to these cleanliness rituals.  There may be class idstinctions among some Roma, based on how strictly indiviuals and/or families maintain distinctions between impurity and purity. 
       The conecpt of marime is applied to personal hyigene means "dirty."  There is a division of a woman's body into two parts; above and below the waist.  From the waist up a woman is clean; she is "dirty" from the waist down.  There is not "lashav" (shame) connected to the upper part of the body.  The lower part of the body is an object of shame ("baro lashav") due to it's association with menstruation.  Because blood flows without injury is proof of a bodily impurity.  This concept of marime applied to women is a reason why women in many tribes wear long skirts and the bottom of the skirts must not touch any man other than the Roma woman's husband.  Traditioanally, a woman in a house must not pass in front of a man or between two men.  She must go around them so that she does not "infect" them.  During meals, men are to be served from the rear for this reason also.  Should a Roma woman not be wearing the traditional long skirt, she must cover her legs with a coat or blanket when sitting. 
      May traditional hygenic laws deal with water.  One of these laws is that Roma must wash only in running water.  This means that a shower would be acceptable but not a bath because then the person would be sitting or lying in stagnant, dirty water.  Also, dishes cannot be rinsed in the same sink or basin used for washing personal clothing.  In many Roma households the kitchen sink is used only for washing dishes, and cannot ever be used for the washing of one's hands.  Another traditional law is that women's and men's clothing cannot be washed together because of the impurities of the women's bodies.  Some tribes have specifice rules for the drawing of water from a stream or river.  The water from the farthest point upstream, and therefore the purest, is used for cooking and drinking.  Working their way downstream, the water is used for bathing and the washing of dishes.  Further down stream water is used for nourishing horses and washing.  Even further down than that washing clothes is done and at the farthest point downstream, washing the clothes of menstruating or pregnant women must be done.  Separate pails must always be used for the different uses of water to make certain there will be no impurities.  To the non-Roma some of theses traditional rules may make sense.  Also, the surfaces of tables used for eating are to be kept spotless.  Handkerchiefs are not used for blowing the nose, Roma prefer to blow their nose in disposable material.  They feel that handkerchiefs only preserve the dirt of the nose.  After sneezing or blowing the nose one must wash before eatting. 
        The Marime code of pollution may seem to be unfair to women to the non-Roma.  However, this impurity gives women great power among Roma, the threat of pollution is very great.  Also, pre-pubescent girls and older women are placed in a different category from other women because they do not menstruate.  This seperation allows them greater freedom and they are allowed to socially interact with men with less restriction. 
       For those who have become Marime (infected) there are punishments or remedies.  Unintentional, minor offenses can be forgiven by those present at the time of the offense.  However, more serious violations must be dleat with by the community and the kris.