Young Brides for Sale - Roma Marriage Market in Bulgaria

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 15:17:08 +0000

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
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Adventures by A Himitsu https://soundcloud.com/a-himitsu
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/2Pj0MtT
Music released by Argofox https://youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8
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Chapters
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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