Young Brides for Sale - Roma Marriage Market in Bulgaria

Explore the annual tradition of the Kalaidzhi Roma clan in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, where controversy surrounds the bride market. Young virgins are presented to potential suitors who bid on them, making it a focal point for Bulgaria's 18,000-strong Kalaidzhi community. Despite facing ongoing prejudice in Europe, the Kalaidzhi cling to their heritage, with the bride market representing one of their few remaining traditions.

Taking place in southeastern Bulgaria, the Kalaidzhi bride market sees young girls matched with boys coming from financially stable families. However, an increasing number of young Roma are challenging this age-old practice. For them, the annual market offers the sole opportunity to find a partner due to their Orthodox Christian beliefs and strict adherence to traditional values, which prohibit pre-marital relationships. Marriage within the group is essential, ruling out any possibility of marrying outside the Roma community, particularly non-Roma Bulgarians.

While dowry remains a significant factor in these arranged marriages, a growing segment of young Roma are pushing back against this traditional system. They aspire to make their own choices in love and marriage, opposing the notion of being bartered off at a young age, often as young as 14. For these girls, marriage signifies the end of autonomy, as they transition into roles as housewives and mothers, highlighting the clash between tradition and modernity within the Kalaidzhi community.

Credits
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Chapters
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
0:00 Introduction
1:41 Is my wife for sale?
2:28 Young, and most importantly, virgin
5:25 Kalaidzhi trade and price of the girls
9:18 Stealing the girl or taking a loan from the bank
12:27 Changing the tradition
13:51 Families fighting over old feuds

[compassion-ty]

It is not Tinder because tinder is a hook up websites. This market is marriage match making even the parents are here watching their children. The families are watching and choosing the husband or wife material, this is marriage match making.

[ilovepinkroses]

No one should be sold, and the men should not be in debt, men need to have a good job and want to protect and provide for his wife, he should cherish her & never harm her.

[TsarOfRuss]

$100, 000 for that girl ???? hell no !!
Wait, so will her family pay me back my money if she files for divorce ???

[SaHlGood]

I have to admit, that one girl that said I’m free really touched my eye 👁️

[AntonioTttt]

What if I fail to pay the bank loan, does the bank take them away?

[yyu]

How about the severance pay, alimony, and child financial support after a divorce?

[paulmatteson]

Great video! Everyone there seems pretty nice and have good humor.

[mertsagit]

Is this market only held on a certain day of the year??

[TamimLB]

In South Africa we do a similar thing called Labola, it used to be with livestock but nowadays its money. However now its seen more as a gift to the brides family rather than actually buying another person.

[psofug]

What's the process, and how much should one prepare to be able to get one? Secondly, can anyone from outside their country buy?

[Amitsinghyadav__]

if u know the history the people from lower cast migrated from india[ rajasthan ] to the world are known as romani . around 1500 years ago

[gregorioaying]

How much is the price of each? If someone can afford two or three then he take them all ?

[shamsullahnasar]

In west it is called tradition, when it happens in Afghanistan it is called forced marriage .

[hemayetthakur]

Good morning 🌞😃☀️. You are great. Beautiful presentation for beautiful subject. Watching from USA 🇺🇸

[mrnogood]

I love how you dub in the conversations in English.

[AkseerviVlogs]

These people originally migrate from Rajasthan, India.I am also from Rajasthan, India

[reyguarinnjbchannel]

I feel like going to that place! support done

[wendellsmith]

It is a interesting video. Thank you for posting it.

[tobiasgriffin]

Do they marry men from different countries

[jellydamasing]

Here in Philippines as a filipina the virginity is an important to make her husband soon,