The Amish are a Christian sub-culture group that can trace its roots to the 16th Century Protestant Reformation. They were formally known as the Old Order of the Amish and are known to be submissive to God’s will. They are also known for their plain dressing, slow adaption to modern technology, and simple living.

They believe in having face-to-face conversations as much as possible and are, therefore, unlikely to use modern gadgets for communication. They also value manual labor, humility, and rural life.

The Amish and Alcohol

The Amish orders actively suppress the use and consumption of alcohol and tobacco. However, like any other community, some members consume it without being observed by the stricter members of the sect. Some people in the order also just drink alcohol without making it a big deal.

They have celebratory drinks on special occasions, like wine or cider, at weddings and other functions. Many may expect them not to drink because they are a typically reclusive group, but this is far from the truth.

Do the Amish Date?

Divorce is entirely out of the question when you’re Amish. This is why courtship is taken rather seriously by this religious sect. Dating is left mainly to the parents' and youth's discretion and isn’t entirely controlled by the church. A few generations ago, the Amish would marry second cousins, but now they get out a lot more.

This means that there are opportunities for them to meet more people who are outside their social circles. However, they still have to be part of the Amish community.

Birth Control is Left to God

Planning pregnancies is essential. It helps women get their bodies ready to carry a new life. This means that we can take supplements, exercise, and get psychologically prepared to become mothers. Planning means taking control of when, where, and how we will have infants. This means we must utilize some form of birth control.

However, when you’re Amish, this isn't the case. Giving birth or not is left to nature. This means having as many as ten children that aren’t actually spaced out!

They Don’t Accept Government Help

The Amish do not accept government benefits. They do pay taxes, but those who are self-employed do not have to pay social security taxes. This means that they cannot receive unemployment checks. Their whole philosophy is based on self-sufficiency, and it’s no surprise that they don’t get any government-related benefits.

They don’t believe that it’s the government’s responsibility to help them with their elderly or their sick. This means that they take care of their own without any help from the State.

Indoor Plumbing is Rare

In their attempt to keep their lives as simple as possible, some of the Amish don’t believe in having plumbing in their homes. Let us keep in mind there are around 40 subgroups of this religious group, and some subgroups are bound to be more extreme than others.

So it all comes down to what that particular group believes in. For instance, the Swartzentruber sect is extremely conservative and doesn't believe in having running water in their taps or even flushing their toilets.

Life Without Running Water

To outsiders, it may seem impossible to live without running water. Water is, after all, a basic need. However, the Amish are doing what we did for centuries before discovering we could pipe water into our homes. Members of the Swartzentruber sect of the Amish have cisterns where they collect running water for their day-to-day activities.

This water is utilized for bathing, cleaning the homes, and washing dishes. Drinking water is usually drawn from wells that have been dug in their homes.

Bathing Culture

Despite the fact that they don’t have running water, the Amish are not generally unclean. In fact, they are very religious and value good hygiene. However, since having no running water is an inconvenience, it means that they do not bathe every day.

Baths are somewhat of an important ritual that happens only once a week and is usually reserved for Saturdays. They proceed to heat water on a stove and fill a large tub, then each member of the family takes turns using the bath.

The Bathroom Situation

We have already discussed that the Amish of some sects are banned from having modern plumbing. So we may be wondering how they handle the entire bathroom situation. Instead of having the modern toilets that we are familiar with, they use outhouses. These are small structures built outside the homes.

They usually have pit latrines, which consist of holes that are used to collect urine and feces, and a slab with a drop hole in the middle. Some of them use bucket toilets.

Utilizing Waste

You may be wondering, since they have all that waste lying around, then what do they do with it? As this community doesn't have the modern waste management solutions standard in urban areas, they utilize the waste as manure. This “night soil” is mixed with lime and manure and is used as fertilizer to grow crops.

This practice doesn't go over well with the state authorities, as it is quite unsanitary. Most of these communities are required to have a sealed concrete tank or pay for waste removal services.

Some of Them Make Their Own Cleaning Products

Some members of this community are the original DIYers when it comes to housekeeping. They prefer to use homemade cleaning products in line with their belief in keeping things simple. They use cleaning hacks that have been passed down to them for generations. Naturally, they have many children, and children make the home untidy and dirty.

Therefore, cleaning an Amish home takes a lot of work. One common hack they use is mixing vinegar with hot water to clean windows and stainless steel utensils.

Taking Care of Massive Loads of Laundry

Amish communities do not believe in birth control. Lack of birth control means lots and lots of children and, therefore, massive loads of laundry. You may be thinking, well, they must use washing machines. They actually don’t. Everything has to be hand washed, and remember, they do not use detergent or ordinary soap!

Amish women have to wash these clothes by hand. Some of them use old-fashioned tub-style wringer washers or old-school washboards. Some families do laundry once a week, while others wash their clothes daily.

Drying the Laundry

Since they do not use washing machines, dryers are also out of the question. Therefore they rely on the good old sunlight to dry their clothes. During summer, this is relatively easy since the heat from the sun will dry the clothes well and leave them smelling fresh and sun-kissed.

During winter, however, this becomes trickier. The cold months are long and the wet clothes might become moldy if not dried properly. So, they end up drying them in enclosed porches or overhangs.

Growing Their Own Food

The Amish life requires very little expense. All the members of this community grow their own food. They have home gardens where they grow vegetables and fresh fruits. In some homes where they rear cattle or other animals, they grow corn to feed livestock.

This community is not entirely isolated from the rest of the world, and they sell some of their products to supplement their income. Typically, they produce food for immediate consumption, but some of it is canned or pickled for use during winter months.

Do They Wear Undergarments?

The Amish can be categorized into several groups; the extremely conservative Swartzentruber, the Old Order, the New Order, and the Beachy. For the last three groups, there is no restriction on whatever underwear they want to wear. They can go to the store and buy whatever they need.

However, the Swartzentruber have to make their own. They use comfortable fabric to make innerwear that can be held up using drawstrings. This self-sufficiency goes in line with their belief in keeping things simple.

The Amish Believe in Home Births

Research suggests that home births are riskier than giving birth in the hospital. Home labor, whether planned or not, tend to result in more infant deaths, nervous system disorders, and seizures. We can reduce these risks in some ways, such as having a qualified nurse or midwife in the home.

The Amish have systems in place to reduce home birth risks as much as possible. There are qualified and experienced nurses in the communities who are always at hand to help pregnant mothers.

 

The Amish Prefer Raw Milk

Raw milk hasn't gone through any preservation process such as pasteurization to kill harmful bacteria. This liquid can carry harmful bacteria that will harm whoever drinks it and is considered unsafe to drink by health authorities. This has held to actual court battles between the Amish and the FDA.

The consumption and distribution of raw milk by the Amish have led to sting operations leading to arrests by the federal government, and this hasn't stopped them from preferring this beverage unprocessed.

The Amish and Electricity

The Amish are typically not connected to the public power grid. The reason for this is that they believe the use of public resources might corrupt their pure way of life, so they generally avoid anything that will lead them down a corrupt path. However, they do use some limited forms of electricity.

They use battery power to light their buggies, and they also use electricity in some of their machinery, such as tractors, while farming, but you won’t find any computers or televisions in an Amish home.

Food Preservation

This community doesn't use modern refrigerators, so how do they preserve their food? When the summer months are gone, and they no longer harvest fresh food from their gardens, the Amish have to rely on other methods of food storage—for instance, the canning method.

This is when we place food in glass jars and seal them to prevent it from going bad. The process of canning is difficult and time-consuming because of all the prep work. Remember, they have to chop up all this food by hand!

The Men Have Beards, But No Mustaches

Amish men may have long luscious beards but no mustaches. Believe it or not, there is a reason for this, and it’s found in the Bible in the book of Leviticus. Apparently, the verse instructs the men not to cut the hair on the sides of their heads or the edges of their beards.

As for the mustaches, the Amish despised them because the British soldiers who used to harass them sported them and they had to do the opposite.

Give Me a Big Smile

During a study conducted in the mid-80s, it was apparent that in the Amish population, two out of three people did not brush their teeth every day and most of them did not use floss at all. To us common folk, this may sound unhygienic but that is not the case. In fact, they seem to have fewer cavities than the rest of the population.

The reason for this is that they do not consume any sugar in their diet and sugar is the number one cause of cavities and other dental-related diseases.

They Don’t Go to the Dentist

It is wrong to assume that all Amish people do not visit the dentist, but it is fair to state that most of them don’t. With modern influences, most of them are now suffering from cavities just like the rest of the population and instead of visiting the doctor, they prefer to yank those rotten teeth out themselves.

Some of the reasons they don’t have dental care are the lack of medical insurance, living far from the dental office hospitals, or religious beliefs.

Some Amish Women Don’t Shave Their Legs

The lives of the Amish are mysterious to most non-Amish people. They have a rich history full of different customs and traditions and most people who aren’t members of that sect are curious about it. The Amish shun anything that could mean that they are being vain about their looks and this includes shaving their body.

According to some reports, the New Testament prohibits women from shaving their bodies and the Amish interpreted this to mean other body hair as well.

Men Have Rules as Well

The dressing rules don’t just apply to women, there are rules for men as well. We have already highlighted that men aren't allowed to have mustaches, they also cut their hair just an inch below their eyebrows. The hair must also be well-groomed and it must always cover the ears.

During summer the men are expected are allowed to wear only straw hats and during winter, they should only wear felt headgear. They also aren’t allowed any shaving lotion or deodorant.

Canning is Serious Business in Amish Households

Amish people don’t believe in using preservatives for their food. So, most households of the Amish result in other methods of keeping food safe for consumption for longer. Canning is an important and safe method of keeping food fresh for longer periods of time that is used by all sorts of people, not just them.

The process involves placing food in jars and then heating them to a temperature that destroys any microorganisms that may cause food to go bad.

They Have Their Own Healing Methods

The Amish prefer to use different types of healing methods as opposed to visiting the doctors. They are also economical in their health choices and they prefer to seek medical advice from friends and family first before going to an actual hospital. Some recommendations they receive are considered folk medicine while others include practices of faith healing.

Other remedies that they use for ailments include herbal medicine and other non-traditional treatments. This practice is in line with their efforts to remain self-sufficient.

They are Bulk Buyers

Wherever we may find Amish communities, we are also likely to find stores that sell food in bulk. Grains such as beans, wheat, rice, and oats are packaged in large packages and containers and are sold at bargain prices which makes these stores a favorite among food preppers.

According to reports, we can save between 30 to 70% of the money we’d normally spend at regular grocery stores when we buy food in bulk. It would seem we can all learn something from the Amish.

Amish Women Don’t Wear Jewelry or Makeup

Some women love to wear makeup and love the idea of getting dolled up, however, others don’t care for it at all. But for Amish women, wearing any is prohibited. They believe that wearing color products or accessories draws attention to somebody and this feeds their vanity, and this goes against their beliefs.

There are women who don’t even like using face products and it isn't a religious decision. However, at least they have the option of wearing whatever they want and aren’t prohibited by religion.

Amish Women Dressing

Keeping in line with their beliefs, Amish women do not believe in dressing in ways that would be considered showing off. They do not wear colorful clothes with patterns and they prefer to wear solid colors. They believe that they only need four dresses, one for wear, another for “wash,” one for spare, and the last one for “dress.”

We love having options, and most of us couldn't imagine living this way. However, for these folk, this is their way of life.

The Men Also Have Dressing Rules

We may assume that the Amish are stricter on women, but the men have to live by rules too. They believe in wearing plain clothes that are functional. They wear simple suits that are straight cut, called mutza suits. These suits have coats with no collars, lapels, zippers, or pockets.

When it's summer, the men are spotted with vests as opposed to coats. Their trousers are cuffless and are worn with suspenders. Their suits are mostly black, but we may spot them in blue or purple occasionally.

How Do the Amish Have Dinner?

In this modern world that we’re living in, we find ourselves more distracted than ever by our devices and other day-to-day activities. Rarely do we sit at the table as a family to enjoy dinner. However, this is the case in the Amish community. They rarely serve dinner when a family member isn’t at the table.

Usually, the father, who sits at the head of the table, will serve his meal first, followed by the children, and the mother will serve her food last.

The Amish Don’t Waste Food

In most cultures, wasting food is frowned upon. This is no different in an Amish household. The Amish spend hours in the kitchen cooking delicious heavy meals, and every morsel has to be consumed. They also believe that community is important and any food that may remain after eating should be shared with others instead of it being thrown out.

This community believes that food is a gift from God and that wasting it is a sin. We could all learn something from the Amish.

No Time To Waste at the Table

While they value their food, they have no time to waste at the table. This means that they eat rather fast. It is not that they don’t believe in leisure, but imagine having no dishwasher, no electricity, or running water. At the end of a meal, we’d probably be rushing to clean up the house, and we have no time to dilly-dally.

They don’t have the usual table manners that normal folk have. Instead of “Please pass the potatoes,” expect to hear “Potatoes!” instead.

No, They Don’t Hold Burping Contests at the Table

Burping might be considered rude in some cultures, while in other cultures, it is actually a compliment to the chef. It signals that we’re enjoying our meal; it is a compliment to the chef. Contrary to what some people may have us think, the Amish do not hold burping contests at the table.

They do burp just like ordinary people, but they aren’t rudely letting it rip all over the place! This is a stereotype that some uninformed few have probably spread.

Division of Labour at Amish Households

The Amish are traditionalists, and they hold traditional beliefs and values. Therefore, it isn't surprising that they expect their women to work in the home, raise children, do household chores, and generally take care of the home. Men, on the other hand, are the breadwinners of the home.

They work in the fields and farms and are expected to provide for the home. They were solely farmers in earlier centuries, but in the 21st century, they have taken up carpentry and selling farm produce.

They are Close-knit

This group of people is close-knit, and they don’t believe in intermarrying with other people from other communities, no matter how pious or religious the other group may be. They are strictly forbidden from marrying other Christians and can only marry Amish people.

This being the case, they do sometimes run out of people to marry and end up marrying their second cousins. This sometimes results in some serious genetic mutations. However, marrying first cousins is strictly prohibited.

The Friendship Bread

The Amish love sharing and this explains the concept of the Amish friendship bread. This is sourdough bread that is passed around to the weak and needy. However, in some communities, it is a sourdough starter that the baker shares with members of the community so they can make their own bread.

According to traditional Amish practices, we should source everything for the recipe from natural resources. The milk should be fresh from the cow, and grains milled fresh to make the flour.

The Amish Do Vaccinate

The Amish approach healthcare the same way they face every other aspect of their lives, with religion at the forefront. That being said, most community members believe in getting vaccinated. However, some of them, especially from the Old Order Amish, do not believe in vaccines. The 2014 measles epidemic in Ohio can be traced back to two Amish men.

Since then, their ideas have changed, and most members of the community are opting to get themselves and their children vaccinated.

Modern Medicine Vs. the Amish

Contrary to what most people think, the Amish do not have anything against doctors. They will gladly go to the hospital in case of any major illness or injury. However, in the case of minor illnesses and small wounds, they primarily rely on traditional medicine or home remedies. Most of them don’t have medical insurance.

This may be a huge factor in why they prefer not to go to hospitals and they pay for services out of their pockets or solely in cash.

They Believe That God Heals All

Some of the Amish are more likely to lean towards traditional healing methods and God’s all-healing power. Due to their awkwardness in modern settings, conservative rural values, and a general lack of information, they try to stay in their community for any help rather than seek help outside the community.

They are motivated to stay healthy by the fact that they need their health to care for their families. This means that they generally tend to eat healthy, exercise, and practice preventative health measures.

They Do Not Have Medical Insurance

The Amish do not have medical insurance and don’t believe in it. They think that getting insured medically is akin to preempting illness, which is going against God’s will. Insuring ourselves is important; it ensures us from high medical bills just in case we get ill unexpectedly. Having good medical insurance can literally save lives.

Without good insurance, we aren’t guaranteed good quality health services, and sudden hospitalization can result in very high medical bills that will put us in debt.

The Amish Have Home Made Toys

The Amish aren’t all work and no play, in fact, they incorporate play quite a bit in their lives. However, they will not walk into a toy store. Instead, they rely on their own creativity to make toys for their children. The toys are made from old clothes and other materials.

The most interesting thing about these dolls is that they have no faces. This is not by accident; it is symbolic to mean that we are all equal in God’s eyes.

Amish Teens are Given the Freedom to Explore Themselves

The Amish are pretty strict in their rules and religious views, but when their teens turn 16, they are given some freedoms in a period called the Rumspringa. During this time, teenagers are allowed to explore outside themselves and their beliefs. For some, this means movies and learning how to drive.

During this period, the Amish youth are also given a chance to find a mate. They can choose to find one within the church or marry outside their faith.

Rumspringa translates to ''Running Around''

This period is akin to a gap year for the Amish. They take time off the strict rules of the church and their parents. It begins when teenagers are around 14 to 16 years old. It lasts for about two years, giving them enough time to make the decision whether to remain in the church or leave it entirely.

They enter a period of greater social activities and can explore what lies beyond their town and church.

Time For Baptism

After the Rumspringa, the Amish teenagers decide whether to continue their faith or live in the outside world. This is usually the period when they get baptized. The Amish reject infant baptism and believe in joining the church as adults.

When they get baptized, they are old enough to decide whether to join the church or find their own path. Once baptized, the members are now expected to practice the "Ordnung." This means that they have to follow the rules of the church.

The Amish Have a Lower Rate of Cancer

The Amish live a physically active life. They believe in being self-sufficient, which means they don’t use modern amenities such as washing machines, dishwashers, or vacuum cleaners. We all know the benefits of physical activity, and this definitely has a positive effect on their health.

They also grow their own food. Growing their own food means that most of it is organic. Therefore, they don’t consume as much processed food as the rest of the population. They also rarely consume alcohol or cigarettes.

The Amish Speak More Than One Language

Technically speaking, the Amish are trilingual. They speak English, which is the language they use to communicate with the outside world. They also speak a variant of German only spoken by this community, and they use this language to read the Bible. They also speak Pennsylvania Dutch while communicating with people within their communities.

The reason they speak German and Dutch is because the Amish are immigrants from Germany, and they have never stopped speaking these languages despite moving continents.

 

 

The Amish and Education

Just like any other community, the Amish are big on learning. They believe in ensuring that their children get the best education possible. They have their own schools, which are one-room schoolhouses. Teachers at these schools are unmarried Amish women who are aged 18-22 years old.

They tend to focus on arithmetic, penmanship, reading, and writing. Their school day typically starts at 8:30 am, and they start their day with a Bible verse. Their schooling usually ends by 8th grade.

Sharing Meals is Common in This Community

As we have mentioned before, the Amish take their meal times rather seriously. They also believe in sharing their food with their community. Most of the time, meal times are with one's own family, but sometimes, the community as a whole comes together to share whatever they have.

This usually consists of everybody bringing a pot of some meal they have made, and they make a party of it. It could be anything from a pie, soup, mac and cheese, bread, or meat.

The Amish are Pacifists

A pacifist is a person who believes that any war or conflict of any kind is not justified. The Amish are pacifists and aren’t involved in any state conflicts or national politics, nor do they serve in the military. They prefer to keep to themselves and are generally peaceful people.

Not only aren't they involved in state-level conflicts, but they also do not engage in conflict at a personal level either. If anything can be resolved without violence, that is always their option.

The Amish are Vacation Goers

The Amish love to go on vacation. Despite what we have learned about them being absolute hard workers, they do love to wind down after working all year long. Just because they are traditionalists does not mean they do not want to take a break every now and then. In fact, one of their favorite places to visit is Pinecraft Beach in Florida.

That area is definitely different from the states they are from, such as Ohio or Pennsylvania. They stay for weeks on vacation and even months at a time.

They Call Non-Amish Folk ''The English''

One of the most peculiar things about the Amish is that they view non-Amish folk as outsiders and refer to them as “the English.” They refer to other people this way because the Amish are mainly from Dutch and German-speaking countries. Therefore, they view everyone else as English.

Their primary language is German, and they rarely speak English. This language is actually a second language to them. This is why they have called outsiders for centuries, and the name just stuck.

You Won’t Find the Amish Taking Selfies

The Amish aren’t big fans of technology, and we won’t find them anywhere with selfie sticks documenting their lives. They will not pose for a photo, let alone upload any images on Instagram. They prefer to stay away from anything modern technology. Other than this, there is another reason why they don’t believe in posing for images.

They believe any reproduction of images of themselves is a graven image, which promotes vanity, which goes against everything they believe in.

They Don’t Believe in Arranged Marriages

Given all the information we have gathered about this community, it would make sense that they have arranged marriages. However, this isn’t the case at all. They don’t believe in finding spouses for their children; this task is left to the discretion of the ones getting married.

Remember the two years that teens are allowed to find themselves? During this period, they are also expected to socialize and decide whom they would like to marry.

They Have Very Simple Weddings

The Amish believe in keeping things simple, and this includes their weddings. Their ceremonies typically begin at 8:00 am and last several hours—three to three and a half hours, to be exact. After a short sermon, the bishop takes the couple aside and gives them a few words of advice and a blessing.

After that, the couple exchanges vows, and later on in the day, the family of the woman getting married holds a reception at their home.