For those who are native of Midwest USA, Pennsylvania, to be precise, you must be quite familiar with the Amish culture that is prevalent there. The most important aspect of this religious community is that they tend to avoid all the modern traditions and cultures. There is not much data and information out there as they tend to live a very private life. As a community, they are highly cordial where the traditions they follow are much interesting and mind-boggling for a modern person. Here are a few facts that I have tried to compile for you.
Learn From The Amish Culture Some Amazing Facts
No Car For Them
As we have established the fact that the Amish people tend to avoid the modern style of living, they avoid traveling using cars and prefer to travel on carriages or on horses. The fundamentals of the religion followed by the Amish community restrict them from using any modern equipment. However, there is a loophole that is there. The followers from the Amish community can take a ride in cars and bikes, but they are not allowed to drive themselves.
No Car For Them
Bristles
Another interesting fact about the people of the Amish community is that the people who are of old age have to put on a long beard without mustaches. No one is allowed to put on mustaches in the Amish community. However, beards are kind of necessary as the men that are mentioned in the Holy Bible are all having beards. The older people from the Amish community that you will meet will not have any mustache but they will be seen with long beards.
Bristles
The Practice Of ‘Believer’s Baptism.’
This is a practice that is followed by all the adults of the Amish community. If you know even a little about this community, you would know that Believer’s Baptism comes from a Christian tradition that is dubbed as Anabaptism. The term translates to ‘one who baptizes again’. The concept behind this tradition that is mentioned in the Bible is to encourage people to get baptized so that they can also get the priceless gift of attaining the Holy Spirit.
The Practice Of Believers Baptism
Following a Strict Protocol
When it comes to a follower of the Amish religion, he/she has to follow a very strict set of rules to live their lives. Their holy text Ordnung jots down a set of rules, and all the followers need to live their life by this specific set of protocol. The guidelines or the prohibited things that you will get in this community span out to every aspect, such as clothing, education, and/or embracing technology. Ordnung itself has a literal meaning of order/discipline that is taken from the German vocabulary.
Following A Strict Protocol
An Autonomy
The Amish culture has no higher authority to control them or make everyone follow their fundamentals. It’s like local autonomy where the church is allowed to change the Ordnung according to the desired requirements. The authority is being given to the churches, and going by this amendment, each and every Amish community can have their own set of rules. This has made some of the communities deal with much stricter rules compared to communities living in other parts of the area.
An Autonomy
Going Through Rumspringa
Amish community allows its adolescent followers to start exploring the world, and this is done to enhance their knowledge and overall understanding of different cultures and traditions along with other practices. They are also allowed to go far beyond their home and also have the freedom to experience the stuff that is prohibited for them back at home or in their community. The practice is given the name of Rumspringa, and it is derived from German vocabulary that literally translates to ‘jumping or hopping around.
Going Through Rumspringa
No Strict Marriage Rules
By seeing the set of strict rules that are being set up by the Amish community’s holy text, one might assume that there will also be strict rules when it comes to marriage. Well, there isn’t. The Amish community, in general, doesn’t do arranged marriages, and the rules are the same as the rest of the society. However, a few communities tend to encourage arranged marriages as they claim it to be more pious.
No Strict Marriage Rules
Linguistic People
The students that are from the Amish community need to learn a total of 3 languages that are included in their basic education. The languages that are being taught to them are German, English, and the last Pennsylvania Dutch. These languages are being taught to them from a very early age. This is because the languages that we have just mentioned here are widely spoken across the Amish communities. If you are planning to visit the area, you should prepare yourself to hear these languages quite often.
Linguistic People
The Time To Get Married
The weddings in the Amish community are usually being done in the month of early December or late November. This is so because it is right after harvest and people find this time to be the best when they can plan a wedding without any extra stress. Once the harvest and communions are done in October, there isn’t much time left if they aren’t getting married before December. It would be quite difficult to plan and get married in the chilly winters.
The Time To Get Married
A healthy life
Talking about all the interesting life choices and rules that are being implemented in the Amish community, this one has turned out to offer a very healthy lifestyle. The rule is that drinking and smoking are completely prohibited in their holy text. Ordnung completely prohibits the use of any alcoholic drink or substance. This rule has shown some amazing results where the Amish community has seen 40% lesser cancer cases than the rest of the world. Witnessing such a positive curve, we recommend other people to opt for it, as well.
A Healthy Life
Minimal Fashion
The fashion hubs or outlets that are there in the Amish societies focus highly on keeping everything quite simple and modest. The clothing options that you will find suitable for the Amish people are very limited as their holy text doesn’t allow them to wear or sport any bright colors or designs. The key to getting their design perfect is to keep it minimal with a basic color palette. To get an idea of their style, you can go through the fashion sense opted by the world in the 1700s.
Minimal Fashion
Their Origin?
They were said to be facing high religious oppression and it was 1963 when the very first Amish family reached America. The reason why this family chose to stay in the Midwest area and specifically in Pennsylvania as it was the state that was known to offer people a free and safe place to practice any religion of their choice. The basic amenities and other services were also quite good in this state and these were the primary reasons why this first family of migrants chose it to be their home.
Their Origin
Practicing Live-In
As almost every other religion prohibits couples to share the bed before getting married, Amish people encourage its couples otherwise. It doesn’t come without any condition as the couple should remain fully clothed and they should keep talking. The Amish community believes that it’s the best way to see them enhancing their bond before getting in a life-long relationship. It is quite modern and open thinking when compared to other religious communities of the world. It has also shown many positive curves where couples are seen to be quite strong in their relationship.
Practicing Live In
The Taxation
There are no changes or alterations that Amish people follow when it comes to paying their taxes to the federal government along with state taxes. The community is seen to be exempt from the social security advantages and benefits. This way, they are able to save those costs. Amish communities tend to adapt and alter the rules according to their requirements, and this is why it’s difficult to estimate the taxes paid by a family.
The Taxation
Biggest Population
As the data shows, the first family that migrated to the USA settled in Pennsylvania; people might assume that this is the state with the largest population of Amish people. You are wrong; the form that outnumbers Pennsylvania is just a hundred miles west, named Ohio. You will find a large number of Amish people living here. This is also the place that is best to understand the culture of this community. The churches here are pretty diverse with their rules and regulations.
Biggest Population
A Very Short Span Of Education
As we discussed the education scene of the Amish community through the above pictures, it was established that the students receive education and learn at least the mentioned three languages. There is one other interesting fact that you must know, and that’s though these kids receive private education just like any kid from any society/community, they only do the schooling up to just 8th grade. After this, they are sent to work by getting trained for any specific work field.
A Very Short Span Of Education
Voting Rights
No matter where they are or where they reside, if the people from the Amish community have US residency, they are eligible to vote. However, they are not seen experiencing this right quite often. There are various studies where the researchers found out that merely 15% of the Amish voters cast their vote. It is seen to be quite amazing to even see this number turn up to vote, in regard to the less popular that they have.
Voting Rights
Peacemakers
The most fundamental rule of this religion is forgiveness. They are said to emphasize peace and completely abstain from any sort of violence. In support of this saying in their holy text, they don’t go to army selection and are also avid opposers of the death penalty. These are some of the learnings that others should take away from this community. The primary focus of the Amish community is to emphasize keeping everyone and everything at peace.
Peacemakers
Some Toys You Won’t See Elsewhere.
You must have seen many children playing with dolls when they are young. The children in the Amish community are given to play with dolls that have no face. Such an act aims to allow children to explore their creativity and don’t end up having narcissistic or egoistic behavior. The dolls that are given to them to play with have both male and female depictions, e.g., beard without facial features, long hair plaits, etc.
Some Toys You Wont See Elsewhere
No Music Instrument
Discussing all the interesting facts that you see here, how can we forget that the Amish community doesn’t support any campaign or activity that puts a person superior to the other. For the kids, there is no musical instrument allowed, as well. The concept behind this choice is also the same as allowing no dolls with facial features to play with. It is to put a check on developing any selfish behavior in the kids.
No Music Instrument
A Special Computer For Amish Community
It was not very long ago when a company launched a specifically focused computer on the Amish community. The laptop was dubbed as DeskMate Word Processor. The laptop was not equipped with any audio/video capabilities and no internet access capability. The workflow that you will be able to get done with on this computer is just basic Word processing, managing spreadsheets, and advanced accounting. The features offered here are just perfect for Amish traditions and the best to meet their requirements.
A Special Computer For Amish Community
Population Is Expanding
According to the sensex that was done in the start of the 20th century, the Amish population was just 5,000. By the end, in the year 1985, this number has grown and reached a whopping 84,000. The sensex did recently revealed this data to reach a gigantic number of 300,000. The increase that is being witnessed in the number of Amish people has a solid reason behind it, and that’s the God expressed His desire for Amish people to have larger families, and when there are more people, farming will become much easier.
Population Is Expanding
Strict Rules For Their Attire
The rule that every person from the Amish community has to follow when it comes to clothing is to keep everything as simple as possible. The level of simplicity is on such a high level that their religion prohibits them from wearing any dress that has a zipper, Velcro-style closure or opening, and even buttons. It is advised to them that their clothing should avoid all of it. In place of these, Amish people use pins and hooks to keep their clothes fit and tight.
Strict Rules For Their Attire
Confined Lifestyle
As we discussed the Rumspringa activity that all the young people of the community have to go through, there is a very hard decision they have to make. They are given the option to choose between living attached with the church or leave it and free themselves from any and all rules. However, by doing this, they will be cut off from their community and will also be prohibited from visiting their family. They are having such a bizarre restriction that forces around 90% of Amish youngsters to remain attached to the church.
Confined Lifestyle
Exempted From Using Technology
There are different rules for different communities and this is why some of them are allowed to use technology to some extent whereas others are strictly prohibited to. If we are to talk about the Alona Amish community, here you will get to see people using mechanical refrigerators, tractors, propane gas, bathtub with running water, etc. without any restrictions. There are also a few communities that completely restrict the use of smartphones whereas some have allowed it.
Exempted From Using Technology
Restriction On Rings
No matter which society or community you look at, wedding rings are quite mandatory to have. In the Amish community, among various restrictions and traditions, it’s seen that the people are restricted from wearing any ring at their wedding. The couple is prohibited from adorning any jewelry neither on their engagement nor on their marriage. Amish people’s customs are running in their tradition for ages, and almost no community has thought of scraping it.
Restriction On Rings
Keeping Their Engagements a Secret
When it comes to marriages, it is seen quite a lot that Amish people keep their engagements a secret from their extended families and other people of Amish community. This might also be the reason that their holy text restricts them to wear any sort of jewelry. The timing that is generally chosen by the couples to get engaged is spring and they only disclose it to their families in the months of summer. It is also necessary for the families to keep this information a secret until the celebration and functions start in October.
Keeping Their Engagements A Secret
No Use Of White Dress
For the Amish community, it is restricted, or you can say it is prohibited to wear a white dress at their wedding. The guidelines instruct them to wear a blue-colored dress, and the design, along with all the other aspects, is being finalized by the bride herself. She is also the designer of the dress that her bridesmaid will wear. This will be the dress that she will wear in the church at her wedding, along with it will be the same dress that she will be buried in on her death.
No Use Of White Dress
Compulsory Dish
When it comes to following traditions, Amish people are quite strict. They follow their holy text wholeheartedly, and the food/dish that is must be present in an Amish wedding is celery. The menu that weddings have to carry multiple dishes such as soups, gravies, etc., with celery as the main ingredient. The use of celery is quite vast in Amish culture as it is also used for decoration purposes replacing flowers with celery. The wedding planning also carries growing celery in the garden months before the wedding date.
Compulsory Dish
There Is No Age To Retire
The life that Amish community people tend to live will start to cut off between the age of 50 and 70. As there is no predetermined age set to retire, their transition to retired life is based on their physical condition. Once they retire from work and the normal life that they were living, they shift to any grandparent’s home in the country region. The people of older age will stay at home if their health is with them. In case the health starts to deteriorate, women in the family have the responsibility to take proper and good care of them.
There Is No Age To Retire
Guidelines About Baptism
Ordnung’s age for the people of the Amish community to get baptized is 16, and they need to go to their church to get baptized once they are 16. It is also the legal age to get married; the person who isn’t baptized can’t marry before this. The practice is quite unique when you compare it with other Christian practices. As it’s seen in other communities, it’s in the hands of parents whether they want to get their children baptized or not. The Amish community has no tradition to baptize youngsters or minors.
Guidelines About Baptism
Taking The Photographs
While Amish people do not have any issue with people taking photographs of them, they are prohibited from capturing themselves. The holy text Ordnung also restricts them in keeping the pictures at their home. Keeping the portraits in the house is strictly forbidden in Amish culture. The case is also the same with some other communities around the world. The reason that is said to be behind such restrictions is that people should not develop egoism and avoid vanity altogether.
Taking The Photographs
A Fun Activity
In the Amish community, raising the bee or you might know it by the name barn-raising is the fun activity. The neighbors and friends gather around to help the person who is raising a barn and it is a very celebratory act for them. A date is decided and the community expects that the event will be attended by no less than hundreds of people. It’s considered a very pleasant fun time as the men are given the charge of managing and indulging in physical labor while the women are solely in charge of food and meals that will be served throughout the day.
A Fun Activity
Connected To The Church
As we discussed above, the people from Amish community are expected to remain connected to the church, because if they are choosing their way out, they will be completely shunned from their family and neighborhood. There will remain no contact with their families and this is quite a significant reason why a whopping 90% of Amish youngsters choose to stay connected with the church. When it comes to disconnecting with the family, no one wants to give up that.
Connected To The Church
A Darker Hue
The community is said to be quite positive and peace-loving where they tend to remain honest with themselves and others in almost every situation, there is an aspect in their lives that carries a bit of darker light. As the necessity along with demand for small-scale agriculture is decaying in the States and the farm prices are on an all-time high, there are a number of communities in the Amish religion that have settled on dog farming as their primary income source. In all the United States’ puppy mills, approximately 20% are owned and operated by Amish people.
A Darker Hue
High Rate of Inbreeding
The marriage is not being intentionally done with the cousins but it is quite common to see in the Amish community. The risk is quite high because of the lesser population and there are not many people outside the family in the community. The communities are quite small and when it comes to marriage, it becomes harder for these people to find a match that’s not genetically related to them. This is the only and primary reason why there is such a high risk of inbreeding.
High Rate Of Inbreeding
A Strict No-No To Evangelism
While we are learning some fascinating facts about the Amish community, how can we forget that they are entirely opposed to practicing evangelism? The people from the Amish community tend to keep themselves away from all the modern aspects of the world and keep themselves abstained from the people of other communities. Witnessing all this, it is of no shock that people from the Amish community don’t support any sort of recruits. No matter how big of a supporter you are, it’s impossible to join the church in the Amish community.
A Strict No No To Evangelism
Any Outsider Is English
No matter where you belong, the Amish community doesn’t care about it. Your ethnicity, caste, skin color, or any factor related to your identity doesn’t hold any value for them. You are just an ‘English’ person. The primary reason behind such thinking is the immigration patterns that people have witnessed for multiple centuries. When you look at their old customs that they are known to follow, all of it starts making sense
Any Outsider Is English
A Few Memories
In the above pictures, you have seen that a large number of Amish communities don’t allow their people to use smartphones. So, it’s obvious that they don’t have any Instagram account under their name. Apart from such bizarre restrictions, the Amish community people also abstain from making any paintings. Well, you might ask why so because making a painting isn’t modern technology. It is believed by them that when a person goes away, one should only have their memories with them and not any picture.
A Few Memories
No Dating From Other Community
As there are various restrictions that are being put on the Amish community by their holy text, there is one that’s quite interesting as well. Amish people aren’t allowed to date anyone who isn’t baptized in an Amish church. To start dating anyone even from the community, you must make yourself accepted in the community. Apart from these, if you are seeing someone or dating someone, you are only allowed to take that person with you to public places.
No Dating From Other Community
Taking The Blessings
When it comes to any life event, Amish people make it quite significant and extravagant. The event will include the whole community and it must carry proper care from the people. It’s impossible in the Amish community for anyone to secretly marry and settle and ignore the permission of the elderly and other important people of the community. If a couple has started dating, it’s necessary for them to tie the knot as soon as possible. It is also written in the holy text that in case a man proposes someone he likes, it’s necessary to attain the church’s approval.
Taking The Blessings
Going to Honeymoon
No one could have ever imagined spending their honeymoon at their parent’s home. There is nothing as creepy as it sounds. Well, traditions carry such a high significance in Amish communities and it is one of those traditions that you will find here. Once the couple is married, their honeymoon will begin at the home of the girl’s parents. As a thank you gesture, the couple will need to clean the whole house the next morning.
Going To Honeymoon
The Next Step…
The honeymoons are also highly celebrated in the Amish culture and the couple will need to go to various locations. Once they have visited the bride’s parents’ home, next they will need to visit all the close relatives’ home as a wedded couple. Next up, if until now the couple doesn’t own a home, they will have to live at the bride’s place until they buy or rent a place. It is written in the Ordnung and everyone from the Amish community must follow it without any question.
The Next Step
Might Not Be Amish
While you are visiting a place and see someone adorning a bonnet, you must not reach any conclusion of declaring them Amish, they might not be one. The person that you have seen might be a Mennonite. Though there are a few similarities between them, they are quite different. Both the communities take offense in case someone mixes the two. Mennonites are basically a sect that follows non-orthodox Christian values. This community practices all the modern-world things and doesn’t keep itself isolated from other communities. Their clothing is also just the same as that of any other person from any community.
Might Not Be Amish
Practice of Meidung
You must have seen and gone through the restrictions that Amish people have to go through, there are fewer restrictions when it comes to leaving people on their own to make decisions. Well, it’s not like there’s nothing there for those who break rules or in case there are miscreants. You can take it as a Amish variant of ‘time-out’. No matter who you take in the community, if there is something wrong they have done, there will be certain repercussions.
Practice Of Meidung
Banned From Community
The above picture represents the shunning that people have to face when it comes to being excommunicated from the community. Based on the deeds that you have done, once shunned, you will be given a barn to live and all the proceedings thereafter will be done as treating an outsider. The time period of your ban can vary based on your time. You might think this ends up being quite harsh, the primary purpose behind this is to make people believe that they have done some mistake and apologize to the concerned person or community.
Banned From Community
Testing Your DNA
This is a tradition that is seen quite a lot in modern times. Everyone is getting their DNA tested to find more about themselves along with their ancestors. This is made possible by the equipment developed by modern technological developments. Well, Amish people are the ones who are not ready to accept this. This is the primary reason why marrying immediate cousins or third cousins is such a simple and common practice in the Amish religion. They believe that it is up to God who is in favor of inbreeding.
Testing Your DNA
The Brunch
Among various other traditions that we have discussed here, potluck is the one that is loved by a lot of people. You will also want to participate once in your lifetime. When it comes to generosity, there is no one as big-hearted as Amish people. In this tradition, people bring what they can offer to a bigger table and that’s the reason why it’s called potluck. It is also the case that happens way frequently and it also offers quite a good option to catch up and meet everyone from the community.
The Brunch
No Dedicated Building For Church
All the other communities and religions believe in having gigantic buildings dedicated to their prayer places, they want these buildings to have beautiful carvings and paintings across the walls, floors, furniture, etc. In the Amish community, you will not find any churches. The belief is that when it comes to learning the Bible, there is no need to have any fancy place. The cathedrals and churches are for everyone else but Amish community doesn’t need any such fancy building.
No Dedicated Building For Church