5 Surprising Facts About the Amish - The Amish Farm and House (2025)

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What are some surprising facts about the Amish? ›

The Amish Use Mirrors

While the Amish do not take pictures of themselves, they do use mirrors. The use of a mirror is allowed because unlike a picture, it is not a graven image. Women use mirrors to do their hair and men use mirrors to shave.

Humility, family, community, and separation from the rest of society are the mainstays of the Amish people. They reject most aspects of modern life. They do not usually use telephones, electricity, radios, televisions, or automobiles. Horses and buggies provide transportation.

The core Amish values are to lead a simple life of faith. The Amish believe that their religious faith and the way they choose to live are interdependent. These core beliefs lead to a very strong set of values of faith, family, community, and a simple unworldly life.

This game is even referred to as the “national pastime” of the Amish. * Played in the sand or grass, volleyball is a versatile and fun sport that the Amish have enjoyed for generations. As well as for their simple lifestyle, the Amish are also renowned for their skillful craftsmanship.

The Amish are known for simple living, plain dress, Christian pacifism, and slowness to adopt many conveniences of modern technology, with a view neither to interrupt family time, nor replace face-to-face conversations whenever possible, and a view to maintain self-sufficiency.

Ohio Amish homes are easily picked out as one drives through a community. The houses are usually large but simple in design. Most feature white siding of some type. Porches and decks are common.

Among the Amish, Rumspringa simply refers to adolescence. During the period known as Rumspringa, beginning at about age 16, Amish youth are no longer under the total control of their parents on weekends and, because they are not baptized, they are not yet under the authority of the church.

Dating among the Amish typically begins around age 16 with most Amish couples marrying between the ages of 20 and 22. To find a prospective date, the young adults socialize at functions such as frolics, church, or home visits. One of the most popular activities is the Sunday night singing.

For Amish youth, the Rumspringa normally begins at age 16 and ends when a youth chooses either to be baptized in the Amish church or to leave the community. For Wenger Mennonites, Rumspringa occurs mostly between ages of 17 and 21.

Personal hygiene routines may vary from family to family. However, most Old Order Amish men only bathe on Saturdays during winter, but many use sponge baths during the week. This is because there are no bathtubs in their homes, and bathing can take up a lot of time that could be spent on other essential tasks.

Do Amish use birth control? ›

The large number of children is due to the fact that many children are appreciated by the community and not because there is no birth control.

Recreation in Amish life often focuses on local activities involving nature. Without cars and with many chores, Amish families are more tied to the local community. Sledding, skating, ice hockey, swimming, camping, fishing, and hunting provide breaks from the routines of work.

Several Amish rituals and traditions were brought over by the first Amish settlers that came to the US. Even kissing isn't allowed during this practice, but while this courtship bedroom ritual may seem counterintuitive, bundling encourages bonding and teaches restraint.

Dating Practices. Boys start dating around age 16 and girls begin at 14-15 years. So how do Amish people meet their future husbands or wives? Church services, home visits, singing events, and frolics are the main places where Amish meet potential partners.

Amish women swim in a different location from men, but because they tend to wear long dresses, the activity would be better characterized as wading. Some Mennonite women might wear shorts and T-shirts or even one-piece swimsuits because their churches are the most modern of the sects, at least in some ways.

They enjoy board games, such as Scrabble, Life on the Farm, and Monopoly or card games, like Uno. However, there is never any gambling involved! Sports games are also enjoyed by all ages, but they are not played competitively. Amish do not support the idea of competition and pride, but rather community and teamwork.

Faith-based Amish traditions include wearing plain clothing, living in a simple manner and helping a neighbor in need. Church buildings with pews are traded for services in community homes, choirs for solemn hymns without music and professional pastors for community leaders.

Swartzentrubers are the most restrictive concerning the use of technologies among all Amish affiliations, see table below. Their style of dress tends to be heavier and plainer, especially in the case of women; only the Nebraska Amish dress in a more conservative style.

Historically, the Amish adhere to a strict interpretation of scripture which prohibits them from using modern technology in their daily lives. The Bible is often cited as a basis for their rejection of motorized vehicles, which they see as a way to avoid the “worldly” trappings of modern life.