Interesting Facts about the

Amish Way of Life

The Amish Community is so different from what we know. They’re often romanticized and
dramatized, and we end up not really knowing what’s true and what’s not. They follow a broad set of
rules within their community that resemble quite old-fashioned ways of living. Find out about the
items of clothing they are banned from wearing, how young Amish people date each other, and how
the Amish have come under fire for the way they treat their animals. We’ll also tell you the
surprising ways the Amish get their revenge on those who cross them, what they think about facial
hair and the surprising thing Amish women carry in their bouquets instead of flowers when they get
married. Read on for a glimpse into the world of the Amish, including what happens on their
wedding night!

No-Tech
The Amish keep technology to an absolute minimum. They believe that the Earth should stay as it
God originally created it, so you won’t find any lamps or cars in their communities. Let alone cell
phones and the constant technological advancements we see happening on a daily basis. The Amish
prefer to keep away from each of these and center their attention on other things such as their daily
work and family life.

Also, you’ll see them riding horse-drawn buggies and lighting their homes with candles. As a general
rule, they will avoid television and use horses rather than cars because they want to retain a sense of
community. In many ways, you’ve got to appreciate that. Their commitment to maintaining their
culture and values is commendable and in many ways the reason why the Amish community has
been standing strong until today.
Rumshpringa
When an Amish teen reaches the ages of 14-16, they are given the option of going on Rumshpringa
(“running around” in English). The teens leave their families and explore and experiment with the
vices of the outside world that is typically forbidden. Not all Amish teens take the opportunity to do
such, as the outside world can be a pretty harsh and scary world when you grew up with little to no
contact with this world.

So teens are allowed to go around and explore (of

course still following certain rules), and they introduce themselves to things that are absolutely
normal to the outside world, but might be fascinating for them. After they are through, the teens can
choose to either come back to their communities to be baptized and stay forever within the faith or be
shunned and live out the rest of their lives in the modern world.

Sweet Freedom
During Rumspringa, Amish teens go out into the world to get their first taste of what life is like for
the non-Amish. Being away from their parents, the teens have complete freedom to go and try
whatever they want. Well, again, ‘complete freedom’ within some parameters that won’t hurt their
faith. For many Amish teens it’s extremely hard to try out things that seem to be ‘too much, so they
either don’t or take a while until they feel comfortable with doing it.

While most end up maybe trying a few puffs of a cigarette or

going to a dance club before deciding that kind of life is not for them, others end up going wild and
experimenting with more dangerous activities. But we’re guessing that most of them don’t
particularly do the wildest things you’ve ever heard of, it’s a huge contrast!

Baptism Later in Life

Many faiths practice some sort of Baptism ceremony or something with a similar meaning. Like
many Christian sects, the Amish do follow the tradition of Baptism. However, instead of Baptizing
their children when they are infants, the Amish wait until much later in life, between the ages of 14-
18. In fact, it’s very uncommon to have small children being baptized, almost unheard of.

But there is a reason why they do it this way though. They

perform baptism ceremonies on Amish teens because they believe that by this age, a person is able to
independently make a choice to pledge himself to the Amish faith, because he wants to, not because
his parents did it for him when he was young. Even though it can be a bit contradictory due to the
strict rules they have, it is important for the Amish for teens to make the choice of devoting
themselves to the community willingly instead of forcibly.

Eating Together
Meals are not only a good way to feed yourself, but they are also a great means for socializing in the
Amish community. In fact, as a general rule, this is not so different in other faiths and cultures.
Sharing a meal is considered a sacred time for many communities and faiths, as that’s the time when
family members and friends share their lives while sharing a meal. Often times, meals are eaten
together in a potluck style, where everyone brings a dish and shares it with the rest of the diners.

They set up long tables so everyone can sit and so all of their
food can be set out. Families can be quite big within the Amish community, as family planning is not
something that is usually prioritized. So the tables are usually extra-long, so those whole families can
sit together and enjoy their meal together. These meals are a perfect time for seeing everyone and
catching up.

Amish in America
The majority of the Amish population exists in North America. But curiously, that is not where the
Amish culture originated for everyone’s surprise. Originally, the Amish came from a small sect in
Switzerland but were constantly bombarded with persecution from the surrounding populations who
wanted nothing to do with them. From a very early time, the Amish culture has been one to suffer
from quite a bit of backlash from outside communities.

It’s hard to blame outside communities though because the Amish have always stayed within their
own circles, barely interacting or contributing towards the modern and outside world. Eventually,
William Penn offered them a place to call home in Pennsylvania, USA. Some of the largest Amish
communities are still living in Pennsylvania, while others have branched out to form communities of
their own other states such as Ohio and Nebraska.

Patriarchy
It’s no secret that the Amish society is a patriarchal one. In fact, this has been one of the biggest
reasons for criticism of the community. Funny enough though, at the end of the day the whole world
is mainly patriarchal, and there are many issues that need to be largely fixed with regards to this. But
this is not a conversation about patriarchy around the world. Patriarchy in the Amish community is
not only a way of life, but it’s what rules almost every single thing they do.
 Men make all decisions, receive the inheritance, and
lead their families as “man of the house.” Most times, the women are expected to do the will of their
husbands without questioning them. They take the bible literally, referring to passages such as:
“Submit yourself unto your husband as unto the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22); and “A woman should learn
in quietness and full submission” (I Timothy 2:11).

If you’re not Amish, You’re English

From their point of view, if you are not Amish, you are considered to be “English.” It doesn’t matter
what color you are, where you come from, or even what language you speak, you are going to be
referred to as English if you are not a part of the community. This comes from the early days of the
Amish when every outsider whom they would come in contact with was an Englishman who spoke
English.

And as the article will touch on a little bit further, the Amish don’t
really go around getting a comprehensive education and learning about the different races and
cultures around the world. Because everything is so secluded and they tend to stay within what and
who they know, they end up missing on a lot of information about anyone else who is not a part of
their community. So just keep in mind that for the Amish it doesn’t matter if you speak Portuguese,
Finnish, or Hebrew, for them, everyone is just English.
An Amish Celebrity
As we’ve said before, the Amish typically want no part of the outside world, or “The Devil’s
Playground” as they call it. But there is one famous Hollywood celeb you probably know, who was
born into an Amish community and left to fulfill his dreams of stardom. So as you can see, there are
some Amish members who do well in the outside world and manage to succeed as much as anyone
would.

Verne Troyer was an actor, stunt performer, and even

comedian, mostly known for playing Mini-Me in Austin Powers. He was quite notable for having
been only 2 ft 8 in tall, which was a result of cartilage-hair hypoplasia. He even got the title of one of
the shortest men in the world. Curiously, he was born into an Amish community in Centreville,
Michigan and lived by their rules for years, until he and his parents left the faith.

Inbred Kids
The Amish settled in North America in the 18th century with approximately 200 settlers, they are
now passing 250,000. Being as the Amish law prohibits marriage and procreation with people
outside of the Amish community, you can bet that there is inbreeding going on within the Amish.
Even though inbreeding might be extremely frowned upon and even illegal in some places and
cultures, within the Amish community it’s not.

It’s true that the community has gotten larger over the years, but
with their rules of only procreating within the community, the options become quite scarce. The high
rate of genetic diseases serves as proof of this phenomenon happening. Not to mention, the Amish
refuse genetic testing of any kind, so prevention is out of the question. This simply leaves many
children being born with several difficulties and lacking any type of help. They simply have to live
that way and hope for the best.

Returning Home
After getting their dose of the outside world through Rumshpringa, most Amish teens decide to come
home and officially pledge themselves to their faith.

The strength of these communities through faith and strong

family values, makes most teens realize that the vices of the world do not give them true happiness.
Once they make the decision to return home, they go through baptism and are often married soon
after to begin the rest of their Amish lives.

The Amish Dating Scene

Because of the strictness of the Amish community, many people speculate that there is no dating
period and that marriages are arranged only by the parents.

On the contrary, Amish singles do have opportunities to get

to know one another after Church on Sundays. If two singles like each other, the male offers to give
the girl a ride home. They then stay up talking until the wee hours of the morning, when he goes
home.
Engagement Period
After the couple decides that they want to be together forever, the next for them is to get engaged.
However, unlike most engagements, the man does not ask the woman to marry him by presenting her
with a diamond ring. Instead, he gives her a piece of china or a cloth (something useful).

The couple must also have the engagement condoned by their

Church. If they receive the “ok”, the engagement is announced to the entire community via their
town newsletter.

They Say “I Do”

Once the Church blesses the couple’s engagement, they will be married shortly after. Unlike
traditional weddings, the Amish do not focus on the fancy frills like decorations and wedding gowns.
Instead, the bride wears a simple dress made from blue linen, and the man wears a plain, all black
outfit.

Even flowers are too fancy for such an Amish occasion,

so celery is often used instead. After the ceremony, the entire community eats together to celebrate
the newlyweds.
The First Night
After the wedding, the bride and groom spend their first night as newlyweds together at the bride’s
parents’ home, in order to wake up early and help clean. For the next year, the couple spends their
“honeymoon” going to different friends’ homes (on weekends only) being served meals, and
receiving their wedding gifts.

The couple spends their first winter months together in the

bride’s parent’s home until they are able to have their own place the following spring.

Modesty is a defining principle of the Amish, and they are pacifists, strictly against violence and war,
so obviously they are against this fashion statement.

The Healthiest People

The Amish community makes up some of the most statistically healthy people on the planet. This
makes a lot of sense, seeing as all of their food is organically home-grown, and they spend much of
their days doing physical labor.

You’ll find the lowest rates of cancers and diseases in Amish

communities, due to their all-around healthy lifestyles. Not to mention, they are exposed to the
elements basically from birth, and are therefore immune to most things out there.

To be shunned doesn’t mean to be physically removed from the community, but rather to be ignored
by the other members, not invited to any sort of celebration or gathering, and barred from entering
the Church. Depending on the severity of your crime, you might be able to repent for your sins and
rejoin the community.
Unnatural Medicine
Seeing as the Amish live only with what God has provided for them, it’s no surprise that they do not
want anything to do with modern medicine.

Because of this, they do not vaccinate their children, do not go

to get any tests done or take any sort of medication or drugs. They believe that it is God’s will that
someone will get sick and/or die, and that they should not mess with the things in his domain.

Schooling
Although the Amish do send their children to school, they don’t receive the same level of education
as the average public school. This is partly because much of their curriculum consists of bible
reading and hymn singing and partly because they end their formal education in the 8th grade.

Also, much of the children’s day consists of recess and

playtime. Amish people do not go to high school or college, and only learn enough in school to begin
working on a useful trade.