Things You Might Not Know About The Amish

#1 Origins Of Amish

The term "Amish" is derived from the name of Jakob Ammann, a Swiss Anabaptist in the Mennonite church who strongly advocated for a literal interpretation of the Bible. His beliefs raised turmoil in the church which caused members to take sides, eventually breaking off and forming their own religion called the Amish. The Amish first immigrated to North America in the early 1700's, primarily settling down in the Pennsylvania area. Today, over 560,000 Amish people live in over 27 U.S. states and Canada.

#2 Baptism And Marriage

Amish children are not baptised until they are between 18 and 22 years old. This is a form of Anabaptist, which is the belief that spread in the Roman Empire that states no one should be baptised in the name of God until they are ready to commit to his teachings. Until they are committed and baptised in the religion they are not allowed to marry. If they do marry, it must only be with another Amish person.

#3 Non-Violence

In the name of their religion, the Amish do not participate in any form of military service. They are strict pacifists and reject any form of violence. If someone in their own community performs in a violent manner they are usually dealt with by the members of that community and they never allow any form of outside interference that would bring shame to the community.

#4 Faceless Dolls

Amish dolls are a type of rag doll and a popular form of American folk art, which originated as children's toys among the Old Order Amish people. While some Amish dolls have faces, the best-known ones do not, to emphasize the fact that all are alike in the eyes of God. The faceless dolls are believed to deter against pride and vanity.

#5 Rumspringa

A right of passage. When a child in an Amish family hits age 16, they enter a limited time period called 'Rumspringa'. During this time, the youth is allowed to go out and do things normally forbidden by the Amish community. They give the child a chance to see what the outside world has to offer and let them decide if they are ready for baptism or for leaving the faith. Though more symbolic for some as they go to a movie theater or for a driving lesson, some have been known to consume drugs and alcohol. The wildly popular shows on TLC such as "Breaking Amish" show how the teens can go wild when left on their own.

#6 No Music

Similar to the way they do not allow faces on dolls, the Amish do not enjoy music in any form. They are strongly forbidden to listen to music or to play any instruments, claiming that it is a source of self-expression that would encourage self-pride and superiority in those who learned to play. They are rarely allowed to sing, and only in groups at religious gatherings.

#7 Amish Woman's Role

The Amish woman is very traditional. They are mainly homemakers, doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, and gardening. They always follow their husbands lead while in public and are expected to care for any Amish child they are in contact with. Many communities of Amish switch days for all of the neighboring children to gather at one home so that the others can catch up on their home chores.

#8 Shunning And Excommunication

As a community based on religion, the Amish are very strict about their laws and beliefs. They will shun members in two different ways for breaking these rules. Shunning involves members of the community limiting contact with the transgressor to shame them back into the church and show them the errors of their ways. This is very difficult because mothers are not allowed to stay in contact with children once they are shunned by the group. They also totally excommunicate those who have seriously offended the society. This means that there is a total shutdown of that person and family members must either leave the church themselves or forget they ever knew their own child in order to maintain their status. The Amish can excommunicate someone for owning a computer, drinking alcohol, or even refusing to kneel during church.

#9 No Cars

It's generally a well-known Amish fact that members cannot use motorized vehicles such as cars. The Amish horse and buggy may even be the most commonly seen picture of Amish life. Since community members are mutually dependent on each other for survival, the speed and efficiency of a car is seen to undermine the need for a neighbor to ask another for help. However, in many communities, they are now permitted to own generators and motorized farm equipment, but on a limited basis.

#10 Church Services

The standard Amish community does not have a single church. If you see a church, they are Mennonites or combined. Ever since the Amish's founding as a splinter group from the Mennonites, Anabaptists were persecuted and thus held church services in their homes. They do gather for church services but it is held in the home. A different member usually hosts the community with the host changing weekly. This is why they have huge barns and rooms set aside for gatherings only.

#11 Barn Raisings

Beyond the horse and buggy, Amish communities are widely known for a barn raising. Both an economic and social event, barn raisings are where the community comes together to build a barn for one of its members. The act typifies selflessness and neighbors helping neighbors, bedrocks of Amish culture. While this is portrayed in the movies as a festive time for gathering, it is hard work and limited to once every 7-12 months, since they provide all of their own materials including the wood.

#12 The Beard And The Blue Dress

Looking at an Amish man, you can tell if he's married or not just look at his beard. An Amish man begins growing his beard (though not his mustache they're not allowed) immediately after his wedding. Some communities allow their baptised sons to begin growing beards after they commit to the faith in totality. This is to show that they are available to be wed, but this is mainly only in mixed Mennonite communities. The females are all required to hand sew their own wedding dresses, which they do at the age of 12-16, and begin wearing to weekly Sunday services. The dresses are always the same color of blue.

#13 Education

Amish children begin going to a one room school at the age of six. These are similar to the one-room parochial schoolhouses from the last century in America. They are taught by Amish teachers and are only required to attend school for a few hours each day. After the child reaches age thirteen, they go to vocational training with their family and members of the community where they learn skills such as farming and carpentry.

#14 Outsiders And Converting

The Amish are set apart from other Christians in that they do not engage in missionary work or evangelism to gain more converts to the faith. They refer to non-members as 'outsiders' and are normally uncomfortable by non-Amish people. This is the main reason they do not try to convert members to their religion. The Amish aim for peaceful coexistence in their lifestyle with the outside world. Some groups, such as in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, frequently see outsiders (as tourists) as they show them their way of life in tours through the community, which is a way to earn revenue for members.

For anyone wanting to join the Amish, the process is pretty rigorous. One must learn the Pennsylvania German dialect spoken by the Amish (some only speak German) and leave behind their familiar modern luxuries which are in contrast to Amish society. The potential convert is put to live with an Amish family to adapt to the household and lifestyle. After a sufficient period of acclimation, the final say rests in a church vote on whether to admit the potential convert.

#15 Medical Practices

Many believe the Amish are against modern medicine but that is a misconception. Amish groups generally are not opposed to the use of modern medicine and do use it in serious cases. Since they don't have insurance, the community pools together funds to pay for a sick community member. The generally set aside money on a regular basis for such emergencies.

#16 The Community Growth

One of the most interesting Amish facts to outsiders is that 80-90% of Amish children stay within the church. Even of those who leave for a brief time after Rumspringa, the majority always return. This retention rate plus a high birth rate means that the Amish population doubles in size every 20 years. A typical Amish family consists of 6-13 members with the young adults prompted to marry before the age of 22.