10 facts about the Amish

The Amish are a unique society that has maintained its traditions and way of life for centuries, even while located in the very center of modern America. These religious communities, which reject many of the conveniences of the technological age, have always aroused the interest and curiosity of those who live surrounded by modern technology. From their traditional clothing to their unique perspective on technological advancement, the Amish world is full of intrigue and revelation. Let's dive into this wonderful world and learn ten interesting facts about the life and culture of the Amish.

The Amish are a movement of followers of Jacob Amman. It originated in 1693 in Switzerland, but due to persecution, the Amish had to leave Europe and move to America. Most Amish now live in the United States, but there are also some in Canada.

This is a tradition in which a young couple must sleep in the same bed for a certain time, but not touch each other. In appearance, the bed for young people is an ordinary double, but with a board separating the two sleeping places. Nowadays this is a rarity, but you can still find bundling in this form, when a young bride sleeps for a month in a bag in which her mother places her. And in the morning the mother checks that the bag is in place and that the husband does not touch the young wife.

This is a list of rules that long ago the elders of a given community accepted as faith. This is a list of not only religious, but also civil rules. All of them are based on the Bible.

The Amish are characterized by carriages and manual labor. Everything is done by hand or with the help of livestock, mainly horses. For all its complexity and labor-intensiveness, all Amish baked goods are considered the most delicious in the United States.

Belts, gloves, ties, sneakers: prohibited! The Amish have a very simple clothing style, in keeping with their general philosophy of life. Married men must grow beards, but mustaches are completely prohibited. Women are prohibited from wearing patterned clothing or jewelry, and they are not allowed to cut their hair. The length of clothing is strictly regulated by the community ordnung.

All Amish are different. If we count according to the main branches, then there are eight of them, but they are split even more strongly because, for example, in one community the length of the allowed brim on a hat may be less than that of its neighbors and this, in principle, is a big problem that can lead to disputes between communities .

Losing a beard is a big problem, it is a loss of status and respect. The Amish even have gangs that engage in such acts. Recently, one such gang, which cut beards, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for each of them for 15 facts of such crimes.

Let it be known that all American Amish descend from only 200 families. Those. The Amish have a big problem with inbreeding, i.e., closely related relationships. Therefore, they often give birth to sick children, who often die. The mortality rate among Amish newborns is very high. The Amish themselves say: This is the will of God...

The health of the Amish is more than 2 times better than that of any American. All this is connected with a healthy lifestyle.

An Amish teenager has the right to choose his life. He is given a period during which he must make a decision: stay in the community and become Amish or leave the community forever and never return or meet his relatives.

Violation of the Ordnung and expulsion from the community. For example, a relationship with a girl outside the community, constant contacts with people not from the community. Meidung for life. There is no way to return to the community.