Amish Culture - The Plain People

Amish Culture

Learn about the Amish culture. See why so many people seem to be curious about the Amish culture.

The first sizable group of Amish came to the United States in the 1730's and settled in Lancaster County. The Amish of Lancaster County are the third largest group in the United States. They are a Christian group. The group was formed by a man named Jakob Ammann who had broken away from the Mennonites. He believed that the Mennonites were not being strict enough in the area of shunning. Shunning is a practice used when a member commits a sin and is non-repentant. Shunning consists of the followers friends and family not communicating with that person, until they repent.

Ordnung

The Amish adhere to the rules of the Ordnung. The Ordnung are rules that are set to keep the believers in line with the teachings of the Bible. The Ordnung sets rules for things such as dress, transportation, and hairstyles. The Ordnung is not meant to restrict it is meant to help them with their character and following principles in the bible that will help them lead a Godly lifestyle. They do not worship in churches but in homes. Outsiders are not permitted to attend services.

Dress

Their dress is meant to plain and simple, and to set them apart from the world and unite them together. Dress is meant to be functional not a showy expression of oneself. Colors are usually dark colors, like blues and purples. Lighter colors are for summer dresses and shirts depending on the group. Lighter colors are also used for children. One way to distinguish them from their Mennonite counterparts is to look at their buggies. In Lancaster county the buggies are gray and the Mennonites are black. Driving in a buggy helps keep the communities tight-knit since they won't travel as far.  In the instance they need to travel far, such as for a relatives funereal or wedding they will hire a driver.

Even an Amish wedding is plain and simple. They do not have big fashionable gowns adorned with beads and lace as we do. They also do not wear a veil.

Reminders

Please be respectful of them when you go to the Pa Dutch Country or any Amish community for that matter. DO NOT take pictures of the Amish. They do not like to have there pictures taken because of the part in the bible that says "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth". If you are taking pictures in and around Lancaster county and there is one in your picture be sure the picture is from behind or where the face is not recognizable, this includes children as well.

Maybe we could learn some things by looking at the Amish culture. Especially when you consider all that we are doing to try and save the earth, and they have been doing it for generations.

They set a good example for living a green lifestyle. They use horses that produce manure for the fields and they use fabric scraps to make quilts. They also grow their own food and do not use electricity in their homes.

Next time your all stressed out, maybe take a few tips from these plain people.

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