Be it for Rroma or for non-Rroma, every life ends. Some of most typical traditions for death and burial are found amongst KalderaĊĦa.
When - as the Rroma say "God forbids", someone dies in the family, his close relatives buy the coffin and lay the dead in his best clothes inside it. Before hand, the dead is measured with a ribbon, graduated in centimetres, called mesura. The mesura will be kept in the family as a talisman protecting the family against all bad things and unhappiness.
Many objects dear to the deceased are put with him in the coffin: his watch, comb, cigarettes. But it is forbidden to put matches together with the cigarettes for fear that the deceased may come back and burn the house.
For three days, the deceased and the coffin remain at home. For three days and three nights, his family sit at his side.
They light candles, drink wine or alcohol. But candles and bottles have to come in odd numbers. Unshaved men, uncombed women sit beside the deceased, eat drink and tell each other stories and tales.
On the fourth day, the deceased is carried to the cemetery, always feet ahead. All the recipients in the house are then emptied of water, for fear that the deceased soul - always thirsty, may come back at night to the house.