25+ Secrets From The Amish Community
Known for being a closed community, most of us don’t know much about the Amish. They live isolated from society and stick to traditions and practices that we’ve long left behind. Since America’s Plain People don’t tend to welcome newcomers or tourists, they’ve remained shrouded in an air of mystery for more than a hundred years.
To try and gain some insight into their interesting lives, we’ve comprised a list of fascinating facts about the close-knit Amish community, from their bans to their beards. They have a ton of fascinating practices that we never could’ve imagined.
Some of these traditions might surprise you!
They Live in Thirty Different US States
The largest Amish community is in the state of Ohio, followed by the first Amish settlement, known as the Pennsylvania Dutch, and the Amish populace of Indiana. But as the Amish population grows, they need more land and have begun spreading across North America. They currently reside in 30 US states as well as Canada.
The Amish try to live as far from big cities as possible, acquiring rural land that’s suitable for building farms. Farming is one of their primary sources of income and how they get their food and other supplies, such as wool for knitting and weaving, as well as wood for building their famous furniture.
The Amish Population has Grown a Lot
The people formally known as Old Order Amish first immigrated to the United States in the early 18th century from Switzerland. Between the 1710s and the 1750s, around 500 Amish settled in North America. In 1920, the US Amish population was estimated to be about 5,000, while today, they stand at over 350,000 people in the US and a little over 6,000 in Canada.
Much of the community’s drastic growth happened in the last thirty years. In 1984, there were only 84,000, meaning that the Amish population has quadrupled since then. The main reason for this increase is their belief in creating big families. Kids are considered God’s blessing and also provide extra hands to help on the farm.
How They Make Their Living
Generally, growing crops and breeding livestock are the most common ways for the Amish to make a living. But, over the last 100 years, more and more Amish have entered other professions and become entrepreneurs. They’ve started all kinds of businesses like hand-making carpentry and selling their naturally cultivated produce.
Another well-known way the Amish make money is by working in construction and building homes and other structures for the non-Amish. Some stray even further from their roots and bring home the big bucks by working in RV manufacturing factories in Indiana, owned by the “English” (what they call regular Americans). While they’re allowed to make vehicles, the Amish aren’t supposed to drive them.
They Are Exempt from Social Security
Although the Amish work and earn in America, they don’t pay or collect Social Security. They consider it a kind of commercial insurance and were exempted by Congress back in 1965. This doesn’t mean that they have it easy, instead of paying Social Security and collecting it when in need, they must take responsibility for themselves and each other.
Their custom states that church members have to care for one another, meaning that if one person requires physical help, the rest of the community is expected to chip in and aid them. Aside from Social Security, they do pay taxes, including income tax, property tax, sales tax, and school tax (even though their children don’t attend government-funded schools).
The Real Meaning of Rumspringa
Rumspringa, in the Amish language, literally means “jumping or hopping around.” You may have heard the name before, but most people don’t know what it actually is. Rumspringa is a rite of passage, during which Amish teenagers are allowed a time of personal freedom to make their decision on whether to remain in the community or to leave.
During Rumspringa, the Amish teens can start dating and are allowed to venture outside of their communities to mingle in American society. They can take as long as they want to decide what they want, but if they choose to stay and be baptized, their Rumspringa ends. If they decide to leave for good, they can’t come back.
The Amish Don’t Allow Photography
Amish consider posing for photographs to be a violation of their religion. The reason for this goes back to the Second Commandment in which God prohibits the making of “any graven image, or any likeness of anything that’s in heaven above, or in the earth beneath.” They believe photographs, paintings, film, and any other physical representation to be false idols and therefore don’t allow them in their society.
According to the Amish, these biblical versions of the selfie cause people to be vain and individualistic, which is against their system of values. Despite this, they normally don’t mind if visitors take their picture, so long as they do so politely and discretely.
They Speak Their Own Language
Most folks don’t know that the Amish speak their very own unique language. They are all bi-lingual and speak English as well as a language they call Pennsylvania Dutch. Funnily enough, the language isn’t related to Dutch at all! It’s more of a mix between Swiss, German, and English.
The reason the Amish call the language Dutch actually comes from the German word Deutsch, which means German in German. The word changed over the many years in America and now is spelled and sounds like Dutch rather than Deutsch. The language has no spelling standard and, although it’s the main spoken language in Amish communities, they learn to write in English in school.
They Celebrate a Different Christmas
Remember the song “The 12 Days of Christmas?” Well, the Amish do. They even celebrate their merry tidings a full twelve days after Jesus’s birthday. Amish Christmas is on January 6th, a date known as the feast of the Epiphany. The Epiphany represents the day of baby Jesus’s baptism when the three kings visited and gave him gifts.
Sometimes the Epiphany is called Old Christmas, because centuries ago everyone celebrated the holiday on January 6th. The Amish aren’t the only people who still celebrate the holiday, many Christians in Scandinavia, Ireland, Scotland, England, and Spain do as well. The Epiphany has lots of nicknames including, Little Christmas, Women’s Christmas, and Twelfth Night.
They Are Banned From Listening to Music
Get this, Amish people aren’t allowed to listen to music. They can’t tune into the radio, listen to CDs or tapes, or press play on their daily Spotify playlists. They’re even banned from hearing the sweet sounds of vinyl. Even more surprising, is the fact that they are forbidden from playing musical instruments!
The only instrument considered acceptable in Amish society is the harmonica. When they sing in church, it all has to be acapella, and all the songs they sing come from their church hymnal book, the Ausbund. In their religion, guitars and banjos are considered forms of self-expression, which calls attention to oneself and is not allowed.
They Are Bound to the Ordnung
Amish people are bound to guidelines that come in the form of the Ordnung, which means “order” in German. It’s a set of rules that dominate every part of their lives and consists of guidelines relating to little details. The Ordnung covers aspects of life like how to dress and style their hair to how to properly practice their religion.
This manual isn’t written down in a book, instead it’s passed from mother to daughter and father to son. If anyone dares cross the unwritten lines of the Ordnung they stand the risk of being shunned from Amish society forever. Each Amish community’s Ordnung is slightly different and amendments permitting the use of necessary technologies have been added over time.
Those Who Step Out of Line Are Shunned
Once young Amish teens finish their Rumspringa, get baptized, and come of age, they’re expected to obediently follow the rules of their community and religion to a T. If they dare to disrespect the Amish way of life, they must solemnly repent, and if they fail to show remorse, they will be shunned.
“Shunning” or “Meidung” means being completely cut off from the congregation. The rest of the community isn’t allowed to speak to the shunned member anymore, let alone live with or eat with them. Accepting gifts or offerings from excommunicated members is also forbidden. But, if a shunned person genuinely repents and shows that they’ve changed, they still have a chance of being welcomed back.
They Believe in Complete Non-Violence
One of the most important Amish values is their belief in non-resistance. All forms of violence are shunned from Amish society. Because of their inherent pacifism, the Amish are forbidden from serving in the army. They’re also forbidden from serving in the police force or the government. This practice of non-resistance is religious and ties back to Jesus’s teachings.
The Amish are opposed to war, military, law enforcement, and even litigation. This means that they can’t sue or seek legal retribution in any way. Does that mean that they’re exempt from jury duty? If so, how can we join the community? We’d do anything to get out of that!
The Hold Church Services at Home
The Amish aren’t like most Christians. Instead of holding religious services at a church, they have them at home. The services are held in a rotation, meaning that every week a different family hosts at their house. Their services last around three hours and women and men sit separately from one another. After Sunday services they have lunch and time to socialize.
Pastors are expected to move between the different rooms of the house to give their sermons to the men and then the women. All Amish sermons and songs are led in Pennsylvania Dutch. Amish pastors don’t receive formal training, instead the community nominates the men they feel are best suited for the job.
They Don’t Actively Recruit New Members
Unlike other Christian denominations, the Amish don’t believe in recruiting new members into their faith. They don’t evangelize and are against missionary work. This could be because their lifestyle is extremely strict, and they know that it’s not for everyone. More than that, they are a private people and don’t like outsiders coming in.
This doesn’t mean that they don’t accept new members, but the process of conversion isn’t easy, and converts are extremely uncommon. Most members of the Amish are born into the society and have chosen to remain after taking the customary time to decide, before being baptized.
Their Dolls Have No Faces
Amish dolls’ faces are completely blank. They have no eyes, noses, mouths, ears, hair, or any features whatsoever. This tradition may seem creepy to you, but it actually has a pretty rational explanation. They believe any physical representation of heaven or Earth to be a form of idolatry. They don’t allow people to take photos of themselves, the same rule applies to toys having faces.
The Amish are extremely careful about following the Second Commandment and don’t want to mistakenly worship any false idols, even if they come in the form of little kids’ toys. Plus, if none of the dolls have faces, then they all look the same, which prevents vanity and jealousy among children.
They Aren’t Allowed Technology in their Homes
Amish people aren’t allowed to use technology at home. That means no electricity either. They believe that giving up technology helps them focus on the community instead of being focused only on themselves. The reasoning behind this is that if things are easy enough for each person to do by themselves, they won’t need each other and won’t develop strong bonds with their community members.
Some conservative Amish societies don’t even allow running water in their homes and use wells to draw fresh water and outhouses to use the toilet. While other, less severe groups allow phones and computers for work purposes. But they are shared communally and not something privately owned or kept at home.
They Can Share a Bed Before Marriage
This one may be hard to believe, but the Amish actually allow young folk to share a bed before marriage. How is that possible in such a strict religious society? The answer involved a few simple rules and practices, including remaining completely clothed and placing a thick wooden board down the middle of the bed.
Amish people encourage young prospective couples to spend nights together talking and developing a bond. But they aren’t naïve, so precautions are taken to discourage premarital relations. Like the traditional process of bundling, in which a young couple is tightly wrapped in a blanket with a board between them so they can’t really move or touch.
Women in the Amish Community
In the conservative and religious Amish society, women have a clear place. They are expected to be subservient to their fathers and later to their husbands. Of course, every family builds its own preferred husband-wife dynamic, but no Amish women are allowed to serve in leadership positions in the church.
The role of the Amish woman is to be a wife and a mother. She is expected to raise her children, keep the home clean, and put food on the table. However, young, unmarried Amish women are allowed to join the workforce in jobs such as teaching, waitressing, handwork, selling Amish-made goods, and working for their family businesses.
It Takes a Village to Raise a Barn
Barn raising is an important Amish custom in which the community joins together to finish building a barn and have a frolic, or a work-oriented social event. When a new barn is built, hundreds of Amish folks join together. At the frolic, the men build the barn while the women make food for everyone.
These events symbolize community and are a big part of their way of life. But the Amish are moving away from agriculture and on to other industries, so barn-raisings are becoming less common. Luckily, the community can join together and frolic for any big project that requires help to complete, like the construction of a home or picking hay at the end of harvest.
They Farm and Sell Puppies
A new industry the Amish have recently entered is the dog breeding business. Many people consider this practice to be morally corrupt when there are so many dogs out there who need homes. But when the demand for locally grown agriculture is down, and farmland is becoming so expensive, many Amish have turned to breeding and selling puppies to make a living.
The pups are kept in close cramped quarters, in unclean cages or barns, and treated like livestock. The Amish also hold dog auctions where breeders can buy and sell their dogs. Animal rights activists have called attention to the treatment of the dogs at these facilities and are working to bring an end to Amish puppy mills.
If He Has a Beard, He’s Married
There are quite a lot of rules and regulations regarding male facial hair in the Amish community. Amish dudes are told to keep a clean shave until marriage, but the moment they tie the knot, they have to start growing a beard. No need for wedding rings! And the longer the beard, the longer he’s been married. But mustaches are a no-go.
Beard-cutting attacks are considered a religious crime in Amish congregations. Back in 2012, a group of sixteen Amish men and women from Ohio were convicted of federal hate crimes for cutting off the beards of nine of their fellow community members.
The Truth About the “Founder Effect”
Due to the Amish community being closed off from the rest of society, they often intermarry and have a very shallow gene pool. Despite their growing numbers and large population of around 350,000 people, they are all descended from the same 200 or so families. This has caused a problem called the “founder effect.”
The founder effect is a series of genetic disorders, some of which are extremely rare. It also causes the Amish to have an extremely high infant mortality rate. The Amish refuse to do preventative genetic tests that could help them avoid bearing children with disorders. Most of them accept these conditions and diseases as “Gottes Wille” or in English, God’s Will.
The Amish Have Special Computers
You probably think the Amish abstain from all technology. Well, that’s not exactly true! A while back, they changed the rules and made an exception for computers of all things. They don’t use a regular computer though, instead they use a special computer called the Deskmate, which is made specifically for the Amish.
The Deskmate is very simple and was only created to help them run their businesses. It has no games, internet, movies, or anything aside from spreadsheet programs and accounting software. This may shock you, but Amish are permitted to use telephones for work, too! Don’t worry, these phones and computers aren’t kept at home, rather every few families share one, which they keep in a nearby shed.
The Horse and Buggy Driver’s Manual
The Amish are famous for their horses and buggies, which can be seen all over the roads of rural Pennsylvania. It’s their main form of transportation and over the years has been updated from its basic roots ever since Pennsylvania state law ruled that buggies need turning signals and headlights. Some snazzy buggies even have fancy add-ons like windshield wipers and interior lighting.
The state of Pennsylvania also came out with a “Horse and Buggy Driver’s Manual”, meant to teach the Amish traffic laws and to ask that they respect automobile drivers. Buggies are considered vehicles for all intents and purposes, meaning that if you’re caught driving one drunk, you’ll be charged with a DUI.
There Used to Be a Reality Show About Them
The reality TV genre may be dominated by shows about the rich and famous, but once upon a time, there was a reality show about the Amish. Of course, since they have a ban on photography, it was only about young Amish teens during their time in the outside world. The show was called Breaking Amish and ran on TLC for 4 seasons.
Breaking Amish followed the tumultuous decision-making process of Amish teens deciding whether to return to their communities or leave for good. One cast member, Kate Stoltzfus, made the choice not to go back and became a model and fashion designer instead. Kate has posed for Maxim magazine and runs her own luxury women’s wear company.
Why They Call Everyone Else “English”
The Amish call themselves Pennsylvania Dutch, despite being descended from Swiss and German ancestors. As for everyone else? The Amish call us outsiders “English.” These names date back to colonial times. When they first settled on American soil, the Amish spoke their Swiss-German dialect and were surrounded by English speakers from Great Britain.
Naturally, they referred to the non-Amish as English. Many years have come and gone since the American Revolutionary War when the 13 Colonies declared independence from Great Britain. Nevertheless, in Amish society, the name “English” stuck around. It can get pretty confusing, but we don’t think they literally mean English from England anymore, just English speakers.
Amish Kids Are Middle School Dropouts
In Amish communities, children only go to school until 8th grade. Amish schools are all one-room schoolhouses, with about 30 students per classroom. High school is considered impractical, since by grade eight, young teens already know the basics, including reading, writing, penmanship, and math skills. During their years at school, the Amish also learn a bit of science, history, social studies, and geography.
After their graduation, they move on to vocational studies and train in trades such as farming, furniture building, construction, household chores, and more. Another reason the Amish are against high school and college is because higher education tends to expose impressionable youngsters to anti-Christian ideas.
No Mustaches for the Amish
The Amish are known for their big hairy beards, but some of you may have noticed that they’re missing something just above their mouths. Married Amish men are required to grow beards but are banned from having mustaches. This rule gives them their signature style, but it wasn’t invented to make them look unique.
The real reason behind the law against mustaches dates back to a time when mustaches were considered a symbol of rank in the German military. Since the Amish are non-resistant, they forbade mustaches to distance themselves from the war-waging army. Even though mustaches are no longer a soldier’s symbol, the Amish still shave their upper lips.
The Conversion Process isn’t Easy
To be accepted into Amish society you’ll have to give up all the contemporary necessities you’ve grown up with and learn to speak Pennsylvania Dutch. Then you’ll be sent to live with an Amish family where you’ll be expected to abide by the Ordnung and learn to adapt to their way of life. But just learning their ways and living among them isn’t enough to be considered Amish.
The church holds the final say and when converters are considered ready, a vote is held to decide their fate. Most often, potential new members are only accepted if they genuinely take on the Amish faith and lifestyle. So, if you’re considering joining the Amish, don’t take your decision lightly.
Their Strict Rules Regarding Clothing
Amish clothing may look plain, but it has quite a lot of meaning and tradition behind it. Their outfits are simple and practical for a reason – it displays their humility, community-oriented lifestyle, and values. Men are banned from wearing pockets, belts, and zippers. They also can’t have buttons or collars, which are traditionally associated with army uniforms.
Men’s hats should be made from straw or felt for formal occasions. Women are only allowed to own four dresses and they have a poem to explain why: “One for wash, one for wear, one for dress, and one for spare.” All four dresses should be floor length and have no pattern. Women are also required to keep their hair covered at all times.