International Romani Day
International Romani Day is a holiday observed annually on April 8th. It’s a day that celebrates the Romani culture—a distinct cultural and ethnic group of people who live all around the world and share a family of languages. It’s also a day that raises the public’s awareness about the obstacles and struggles faced by the Roma all over the world.
Kosovo (Observance)Historically, Romani people have faced widespread discrimination and violence for centuries, sometimes even being prevented from participating in political or economic life in many countries. Another purpose of this holiday is to help advance some of the anti-Roma discrimination bills that have been proposed by governments around the globe.
The History of International Romani Day
This holiday was first observed in Serock, Poland, in 1990. This was at the site of the 4th World Romani Congress of the International Romani Union. This day commemorated the first international meeting of Romani representatives that took place in April 1971 in Chelsfield, UK.
Interesting Facts About the Roma
The Roma, as Romani people are known, is an interesting group of different peoples that live all across the world, so we decided to list some of the facts that we’ve learned about some of them.
- Many people believe the Roma originated as Hindu people from northern India.
- There’s an estimated 12 million Romani living across the world.
- In 2013, approximately 10,000 Roma were expelled from France when their camps were destroyed.
Observing International Romani Day
This holiday is observed by Romani in diaspora in different ways from place to place. Some people observe the day by taking the time to learn more about their Roma roots, while others might observe this day with a big party. Since it’s a cultural and ethnic holiday, in most places, this day isn’t a public holiday, however.
Kosovo (Observance)
