The Amish live by several basic tenets. Unlike the rest of America, the Amish shun individualism, and look at technology that takes away from hard, communal work and gives the individual time to ruminate on things outside of the community as a negative influence.
That's the reason they rarely use electricity or drive cars - but don't make the mistake of thinking they are merely trying to recreate a bygone time! Technology is vetted according to its perceived worth to the community, not on its advancement - and so, some Amish actually use modern tools for certain activities.
The Amish are an old group, with very old traditions. They first came to America in the early 18th century, and many aspects of that period are preserved in their traditions, like in a sort of living time capsule. One of the most distinct - and instantly recognizable - of these traditions is the Amish beard.
Amish men wear a beard for all sorts of reasons - some rooted in religion, others in tradition - but they all shave their mustaches. The reason for that may surprise you: the Amish are pacifists, and when their movement was just starting out, mustaches were heavily linked with a "military" look, favored by officers and soldiers. To distinguish themselves from these military men, the Amish decided to shave their mustaches off - and while today, military men prefer a clean-shaven look, the tradition has stuck!
It doesn't matter what ethnicity you are, or what skin color you have, or where you're from - if you're an outsider, the Amish will refer to you as "English."
When the Amish first came to America, everyone that approached them were English settlers - who, naturally, spoke English. The Amish couldn't refer to them as Americans, because they were Americans as well, so they simply called them English.
While the Amish know English and speak it with "outsiders," among themselves they speak Pennsylvania Dutch. Not to be confused with "Dutch" from the Netherlands, this is a simplified version of writing the German "deutch".
Amish dolls famously have no faces. This may appear creepy to the rest of the world, but these homemade toys are actually in line with the basic tenents of Amish life.
The Amish, you see, don't want to encourage vanity or self-obsession - and a doll with a face is an individual, with distinct features which can make it prettier - or uglier - than other dolls.
With that in mind, it's easy to understand why the Amish prefer to keep their dolls faceless - and there's even a beauty to it.
Up until the 1950s, Amish children would go to public schools alongside non-Amish children, learning English, math and other basic subjects with them up until the 8th grade.
However, as technology progressed and the American way of life became less and less similar to the Amish way of living, Amish parents started to remove their kids from the public-school system, and teaching them themselves, at home or at Amish schools.
Today, it's rare to see Amish children in public schools.
The Amish are legendary for their health. Despite shunning modern technology, and mostly keeping to their own 18th century medical practices, the Amish rarely get cancer or fall ill to serious sickness.
When you think of their lifestyle, though, this makes a lot of sense. Many Amish are quite physically active throughout the day, refrain from smoking or drinking alcohol, and go to sleep early - soon after sundown. Not only that, but they grow most of their own food in organic fields! With such a healthy lifestyle, it's no wonder they are this healthy!
The Amish shun most modern technologies - and that, of course, includes cameras. But in their striving to stay humble, centered and calm - driven by the rejection of what they call Hochmut, which translates into pride, arrogance or haughtiness and the high value they place on Demut - humility - and Gelassenheit - calmness, composure, placidity - they also don't paint.
So when a loved one passes away, they usually don't have any way to remember them visually - other than, well, actual memory.
Self-expression is not allowed among Amish because it could lead to pride. So, in addition to not be allowed to have iPods or to listen to the radio, they cannot make music either.
They do, however, sing songs in church. Those songs come from a High German church songbook called Ausbunch - the oldest Protestant church hymnal - and because they don't have musical notes, the ancient tunes are passed down from generation to generation via oral tradition.
The Amish believe in plainness and humility above almost all else, and so playing musical instruments in public isn't looked kindly upon.
But this doesn't mean the Amish lead lives bereft of song and music!
And while some Amish play instruments like the harmonica or accordion in the privacy of their homes, their real musical events take place during mass.
The Amish, being an extremely old religious group that has managed to preserve ancient customs, are, in fact, among the only groups in the world where ancient singing styles not found anywhere in Europe today can be heard!
The Amish way of life is a very demanding lifestyle. In addition to that, the children raised in Amish communities are not oblivious to the world outside, and so young people, especially teens, can become very curious about the "English" lifestyle that takes place in the towns and cities around them.
Rather than forbidding that curiosity and making it a taboo, Amish tradition has a rite of passage called Rumspringa, which, translated from Pennsylvania Dutch, means "jumping/hopping around."
When Amish teens reach the age of 16, rather than immediately being baptized and officially joining the congregation, they are encouraged to go on a Rumspringa and to explore and experience the world before they decide if they Amish lifestyle really is for them.
Rumspringa can last as long as the person likes. Some Amish teenagers return home within a week, while others decide to take advantage of their newfound freedom. They often travel across the United States and even abroad, experiment with technology, sexuality and whatever else they are curious about - even with things like drugs!
The Amish elders allow them to do this because they know it wouldn't be fair for their kids not to see what they would be giving up by choosing to live in the Amish community - and it makes their decision to return to the community - if they do decide to return - that much more meaningful and proactive.
Despite the temptations of the modern world, it is interesting to note that most of the kids who leave Amish communities do eventually decide to come back and to be baptized as true members of the community.
Because Rumspringa can take as long as a person needs, some "Rumspringers" decide to stay in the "outsider's" world for many years - knowing they can return to the traditional community when they are ready, without being outcast.
Amish baptism is one of the most important ceremonies in the lives of the Amish community members. While some Christian sects baptize babies, the Amish see it as a serious vow that only a fully adult person can commit to.
Young adults are usually baptized only after several months of classes on the subject, and constant reminders that it is not an obligatory thing everybody has to go through, but rather a very serious choice.
It is better, the Amish believe, not to make the vow at all if you are not absolutely sure you can uphold it, than to make it and break it later. While people raised in the Amish community who have not been baptized can freely socialize with the community, those who have been baptized and then broken their vows are shunned from the community.
In their attempt to veer away from what they consider "Worldly," Amish people try to be self-reliant. They build their own homes and barns, grow their own vegetables and raise their own livestock - but they can't do everything themselves.
Occasionally, they might need something their community is incapable of producing itself, and that's when they go shopping. For this reason, there is usually at least one dry goods store in most Amish towns, where people can buy supplies like candles and books.
In the Amish community, it is implied that the women should be housewives. They are not allowed to be preachers or bishops, and are still treated as people who need a man in their life to take care of them.
Still, during baptisms, while a bishop baptizes boys, his wife will have the important role of baptizing the girls, and many Amish women also sell their quilts and other handmade items at stores - both to tourists and to other Amish communities.
There are no arranged marriages in the Amish community, meaning, they can choose to marry whoever they want. Still "no arranged marriages" doesn't mean things are loose and free - the Amish community is still very strict and conservative.
Dating occurs in public areas only, and is very ritualized - and, course, Amish men can only propose to a baptized member of the Amish church - and can't propose without getting permission from the elders and the church leaders, first.
There are some things that have become so associated with wedding ceremonies, that without them, they can feel incomplete. But the Amish , who've been living in closed off communities for centuries, have their own customs.
Unlike other Christian wedding ceremonies, there is no exchange of rings, and the bride does not wear makeup. Rings, jewelry and makeup are considered signs of vanity, and so, the Amish choose to pass them over. Instead, the bride wears a simple blue dress, while the groom - the traditional black clothing worn every day.
While the rest of us living in modernity choose to spend our honeymoons in exotic locations, kicking back, relaxing and taking it easy, the Amish have a different way to commemorate their newlywed status.
Traditionally, after the wedding, the fresh husband and wife come to stay the night at the bride's parents' house, helping with cleaning it and other daily tasks.
This is, traditionally, seen as a way to show gratitude to the parents for having raised them and supported them thus far.
After their first night as husband and wife, the newlyweds leave the bride's parents' house and -go to stay with other relatives. The rest of the honeymoon is actually one long visit to relatives as newlyweds.
When the honeymoon is finally over, the new husband and wife usually live in her parents' house, until they build their own home - usually with the family's assistance.
The Amish put the needs of their community far above their personal needs as individuals. They see this as a way of being humble, and in keeping with their Gelassenheit values. That means that if a member of the community is in need, the whole community will come together to help out.
This is often seen through their barn raising efforts - the Amish are legendary for raising barns seemingly overnight, working by hand and without the use of power tools. This is made possible thanks to massive community efforts.
There are two sets of rules by which the Amish live by. The first is laid down in the Bible, as they are for any Christian community - but the second is more elusive.
The Amish have a concept which the call "Ordnung". Loosely translated, it means "order," "arrangement," "organization," or "system." While it is unwritten, Ordnung is, essentially, what defines the very essence of Amish identity.
It dictates the lifestyle the Amish have chosen, and many of the practices we associate with the Amish today are a direct result of the *Ordnung."
The Ordnung dictates what can and can't be done within an Amish community - but with rules must also come punishment and disciplinary action.
Because Amish life is so focused on community, one of the most severe punishments you can receive for transgressing the Ordnung is called "Meidung". Loosely translated, it means "time-out," and what it means is to be shunned by the community. A Meidung may last a few days, weeks or even months, and its purpose it to both protect the community, as well as to remind the person being disciplined why that community is so important.
A big part of Ordnung is also what Amish people are permitted to wear.
Much like a uniform, members of Amish communities have a strict set of regulations detailing what kind of clothes are permittable. Due to their philosophy, which shuns vanity and prizes equality, clothes are very homogenous. Men wear simple white shirts and black pants, while women wear similar dresses. Jewelry, makeup,and accessories, naturally, have no place in the dress code.
Amish communities know that technology exists of course. One girl on TikTok explains that she sells things online and owns a phone.
She explains that her community knows that she has a phone but are under the impression she only uses it for emergencies—she works far away and needs to be able to contact someone since the nearest hospital is seven hours away! However, they are unaware of social media platforms, especially TikTok.
Thanks to their lifestyle, the Amish are astonishingly healthy. Cancer, asthma and other diseases are much, much lower amongst the Amish population in comparison to their presence in the general population - but that's not to say the Amish don't have unique health issues of their own.
Due to the closed off nature of their communities, inbreeding is not entirely uncommon
That means that often, due to lack of other potential partners, cousins or second cousins marry - a practice which can give rise to genetic diseases. Dwarfism, Angelman syndrome, and various metabolic disorders are far more common among the Amish than in other populations.
Due to the unique nature of their closed off communities, many Amish families have undergone extensive DNA testing, both in order to help geneticists’ study genetic drift, as well as in hopes of better mapping family ties and gaining a better understanding of the dangers specific couples might face.
Due to the unique nature of their closed off communities, many Amish families have undergone extensive DNA testing, both in order to help geneticists’ study genetic drift, as well as in hopes of better mapping family ties and gaining a better understanding of the dangers specific couples might face.
Communal meals are very important in the Amish community. On the days of those meals, everyone brings something to the table and the whole community has a meal together.
Sharing is really important in the Amish community, and since music and art are mostly frowned upon, food is an important way through which people can express themselves and entertain each other.
While the Amish are highly devout, and shape their entire lives around religion, their churches are, in fact, quite simple.
In keeping with their ideals of modesty, church service is usually simple, bereft of any altars, candles or music. The Amish believe you don't need a physical church to learn from and teach the bible - the church can be anywhere, even outside!
Amish philosophy is pure and simple. They don't think they are better than anyone else, and therefore they don't think their church is the only right one.
They will accept you no matter where you come from and what your beliefs are - as long as you respect them and don't try to disrupt their way of life, or belittle it.
Having a large family is very important for every Amish family - not for religious reasons, but because they are a farming community, and more children means more helping hands in the field, in the barn and with the livestock.
While the Amish don't practice birth control and don't use contraceptives, they are, surprisingly, not forbidden in Amish communities.
The average married couple has 5 to 7 kids - and both boys and girls help around both the farm and the house.
The Amish believe in non-resistance. This belief is rooted in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus instructed his disciples to “Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:39).
The Amish take this admonition quite seriously, and so the Amish community is strictly against violence and they will not use any force, even if attacked. For this reason, they are pacifistic and do everything in the power to avoid military service, as well as service in police forces and as politicians.
Despite the fact that they don't use most of the developments of the modern world, like advanced technology or electricity, the Amish uses the help of modern medicine.
Although they do prefer natural treatments and remedies, despite what you might have thought, they will not hesitate to go to the doctor's office if necessary, and are not an uncommon sight in hospitals and pharmacies in the areas in which they live.
There is one main rule of Amish philosophy: "Be ye not conformed to this world", Romans 12:2. This is the reason they avoid being conformed to worldly things and live in secluded communities away from the modern world.
Many of their practices and traditions, therefore, are in place to help them distinguish themselves from what they call "worldly," and their time spent during Rumspringa is meant to expose them to what is "worldly" and decide if they would like to distinguish themselves from it.
When the Amish moved to the New World from Europe in the 1700s, they first settled in Pennsylvania. Nowadays, they live in 28 states and there are over 330,000 Amish individuals all over the nation.
There is also a large community of Amish in Canada, and new communities have struck out over the years, trying to establish themselves throughout Latin America - with limited success.
Though outsiders often confuse them, there is, in addition to Amish communities, another closely related set of communities called Mennonites spread out in roughly the same areas the Amish have chosen to settle. This is no coincidence.
Both the Mennonites and the Amish come from the same Anabaptist faith, and both communities believe that people should be baptized as adults because children can't make that decision. The difference between them is that Mennonites embrace technology a lot more, and though they do dress simple, they tend to wear more modern clothing, and to be a little more lax in their lifestyle.
In the Amish community, a family property, which is usually a farm and a house, goes to the youngest son, because by the time that the parents are ready to retire, the older children would have moved on already.
It is always the son and not the daughter because men are considered to be the breadwinners of the family, while women are expected to marry with men from other families who will, hopefully, have their own farm and property on which to live.
Amish people don't use cameras so they cannot take photos, but some of them don't mind when other people take photos of them. Others, on the other hand, can be offended, so you have to be careful and ask first.
Many Amish manage to make a good living out of the tourism their way of life attracts, and getting photographs, as well as selling the high quality, handmade goods they create are common ways for Amish to earn money.
Amish people don't use cameras so they cannot take photos, but some of them don't mind when other people take photos of them. Others, on the other hand, can be offended, so you have to be careful and ask first.
Many Amish manage to make a good living out of the tourism their way of life attracts, and getting photographs, as well as selling the high quality, handmade goods they create are common ways for Amish to earn money.
The phone is kept in a barn or a shack or elsewhere - where it can easily be reached in case there is a need for it, but which won't, on the other hand, disrupt their way of living by connecting the family to things that are considered "Worldly."
The Amish are so skilled at what they do, that the products of their labor are considered extremely high quality and are highly sought after.
Amish children go to school up to 8th grade only, but their schooling doesn't end there. Community elders teach boys how to farm, carpentry and trade, while girls are taught sewing, cooking and handicrafts - all skills that will enable them to become productive members of their society, and to contribute to their communities and households.
The Amish are so skilled at what they do, that the products of their labor are considered extremely high quality and are highly sought after.
Amish people believe that the church and the state should be separated. That is because the word of God is far more important than the rule of the government. Therefore, they decline social benefits and public funds - and it is another reason why they never join the military.
The church is their only authority. That is why, even when a crime is committed, they tend to solve it among themselves and let the church discipline and punish, rather than getting state authorities involved.
Amish girls sew all of their own clothes, and that includes their wedding dress, as well. The dress is usually blue, but some communities allow the brides to choose the color. After the wedding, women will wear that same dress every Sunday to church services - and are traditionally buried in it, as well.
Imagine, knowing the dress you wear at your wedding will also be the last thing you wear! It can be a scary thought, but it is also incentive to make it a truly well-made piece of clothing.
Amish people do use medical treatments if necessary. But medical bills can be really high, and since they don't have medical insurance, they have to pay. In that case, the whole community pitches in to help. They all work to get the money, and they don't stop until the bill is covered.
There are several organizations that help Amish in need of paying medical bills cover the costs, but the community prefers to be self-reliant usually takes on the responsibility upon itself.
The Amish are not allowed to own or drive a car - but it is allowed for someone else to drive them if necessary. The Amish find that owning a car can be dangerous because it can tempt the people of the community to have an easy access to the outside world.
Another reason to avoid motorized transportation is that it has the potential to make them less dependent on their community - which is why Amish are often seen driving horse drawn buggies down country roads.
While it is not common, some outsiders have converted into the Amish faith and became well-respected members of the community. When people want to join the Amish religion, they first join an Amish family for a bit, and participate in activities among the community. They have to learn German and Pennsylvania Dutch, as well as to adjust to the physically demanding way of living.
Once they've spent enough time with the community, however, just like any other member of the community, they can choose to be baptized, after which they are permitted to marry.
One of the biggest problems that arise from growing old in the modern world today is loneliness.
As the elderly stop working, they slowly retreat from social life and often find themselves alone.
This isn't a problem with the Amish, though.
Unlike other communities, retirement age for the Amish isn't a fixed date, but rather, a choice made by taking a variety of factors into account - including personal health, family needs and personal desires, and usually takes place between the ages of 50 and 70.
When a person chooses to retire, he or she continue to live with the family, sometimes in a building adjacent to the family home called the Grossdaadi Haus. They continue to see their families every day, and to take part in community activities, and rarely grow lonely or feel unneeded.
Because the Amish largely shun electricity, much of their handicrafts are considered artisinal by modern standards. In addition, many consider their labour a form of worship, and so take special, painstaking attention to detail in everything they do, be it woodwork or cookery.
In addition to this, their secluded lifestyle mostly protects them from modern design trends and allow them to keep traditional designs and crafts going from one generation to the other.
For all of these reasons, Amish furniture is highly prized - and very expensive - today.
Many communities rely on income from their woodwork and other handcrafted goods they create. It used to be that in order to buy premium Amish furniture, you would have to travel to an Amish community and meet a craftsman personally, place a specific order, go home and return to pick up your new table or cabinet only once it was done.
Today, this is no longer the case.
While the Amsih themselves largely stay away from the internet, many intermediary merchants sell Amish goods online, providing a crucial link between the traditional communities and the outside world.
The Amish community is one of the fastest growing communities in the United States today - and with more Amish people, comes a higher demand for more services catering directly to the Amish community.
One of these services is the Bank of Bird in Hand - the first modern Amish bank.
The bank was established as a joint venture between Amish and outside investors, and caters to the Amish community's special needs. This includes financial plans that fit their specific needs, but also things like a drive-through window built especially for horse drawn buggies!
With Amish communities being so strict and traditional, people often wonder how young Amish people meet, and whether they go on dates - or if arranged marriages are the norm.
The short answer is: arranged marriages aren't a thing, and Amish teens go on dates like everybody else.
The longer answer, though, is slightly more interesting.
Young Amish folk have an event called a "Sing."
Sings often take place in barns on Sunday evenings. Amish boys and girls gather at long tables, the boys on one side and the girls at the opposite, and sing favourite hymns - usually ones that are more upbeat.
After the sing is formally concluded, the teens socialize, and may sometimes split off into couples.
The Amish don't really have a vibrant musical scene, nor do they go to the movies or night clubs.
So what do they do for fun?
Eat, of course!
Food is a huge part of Amish culture, and any excuse to get together, be it a wedding, a Sing or just a hot summer evening, brings with it countless dishes that have been passed on from one generation to the next, tweaked and perfected.
Let's take a look at some of the dishes the Amish feast on.
Soups are a great way to be thrifty and to make the most of whatever you may have laying around in your pantry, so it makes sense that the Amish and Mennonites have become true soup experts.
Most Pennsylvania Dutch have broths on hand, as they reserve every drop of cooking liquid they can - including vegetable, fish, poultry and beef stocks.
In his book Sauerkraut Yankees: Pennsylvania Dutch Foods & Foodways William Woys Weaver writes:
"The Pennsylvania Dutch developed soup making to such a high art that complete cookbooks could be written about their soups alone; there was an appropriate soup for every day of the year, including a variety of hot and cold fruit soups."
While cream soda and root beer may be popular in other parts of the United States, the Amish have a special penchant for a drink called birch beer.
Made from sap extracted from the bark of birch trees, birch beer can be either alcoholic or soft. The alcoholic version has traditionally been brewed since the 17th century, and all sorts of varients of the drink have become popular not just within Amish communities, but in the surrounding towns and cities as well!
If you like Oreos, you're going to love Whoopie Pies.
This Amish speciality has been around for generations, and in recent years has become quite popular all throughout the nation.
Basically two pieces of chocolate cake with a white frosting or cream generously spread between them, Whoopie Pies are extremely popular among the Amish - and for good reason!
No list of traditional Amish dishes would be complete without Shoofly Pie in it.
Made from molasses, flour, sugar, eggs and water, Shoofly Pie is extremely simple to make from on hand pantry ingredients. It is, nevertheless, extremely tasty, and has become a staple of Pennsylvania Dutch cooking.
The crumb and molasses pie has been around for centuries, and is still served in Amish homes and restaurants to great popularity.
Apples are a big part of the Amish diet, and many of their dishes contain or feature apples in one form or another.
While apple pies and strudels are common, one particularly interesting dish is the schnitz un knepp.
Basically pork shoulder or ham, cooked with dried apples and dumplings, schnitz un knepp is an extremely poplar dish, and families guard their secret schnitz un knepp recipes almost religiously.
If you're ever in Amish country - be sure not to pass it up!
The Amish belong to a broader religious movement, called Anabaptism.
Started in the 16th century in Zurich, Anabaptists believed that baptism is only meaningful when undertaken as a conscious, proactive choice. They therefore urged parents not to baptise their infant children, but rather, to wait and allow them to choose baptism of their own free will.
Religious authorities, needless to say, didn't like this new theological idea - and Anabaptists were heavily persecuted.
The Amish - along with a few other groups - are direct descendants of these Swiss Anabaptists.
While the Amish may seem like the oldest and most traditional of Anabaptists groups, this is, in fact, not the case.
The Amish are an offshoot of the broader Mennonite movement - and only adopted the name "Amish" after they moved to America.
But there are several other groups who share similar practices and lifestyles to those of the Amish - so don't assume just because someone is driving a horse-drawn buggy and shunning technology, they're immediately Amish!
Much like the Amish, the Old Order Mennonites shun technology, speak Pennsylvania Dutch, wear plain clothing and live in closed communities.
And they, too, are Anabaptists.
Differences between the Amish and the Mennonites are difficult to map out - mostly because different Amish and Mennonite communities have different rules. Generally speaking, though, Mennonites don't shun modern technology as much as the Amish do. Many drive cars and use electricity for certain tasks - and some even study in college.
But this is only a pretty general rule of thumb: some Mennonite communities are even more strict than your average Amish community, while some Amish communities are fairly lax in their customs and even drive cars!
