48 Hours With the Amish – The Surprising Things I Learned

More than 367,000 Amish people live in the United States. And while the majority are based in Pennsylvania and Ohio, there are Amish communities in 32 of the 50 states in the United States.

Consider the Amish and Amish communities. I imagine a woman in a dress and a cap, a man in dark pants with suspenders and a wide-brimmed hat being loaded into a shiny black buggy pulled by a chocolate-colored horse. You may hear the sound of horse hooves rattling.

To us Brits, that’s what the Amish (a term used to describe outsiders to the community) appear at first glance.I started digging deeper into the community Shipshewana, Indiana, and what it values. What I learned was, to say the least, eye-opening. My experience changed my view of the Amish people and gave me a new respect for them and their culture.

Amish is not a religion, it’s a way of life.

Although they adhere to church rules every day, it is their lifestyle that makes them Amish. They follow a set of rules known as “ordnangs” based on how they interpret the teachings of the Bible. They prioritize modesty by wearing street clothes and shoes, men wear graffiti hats and women prayer hats, and are prohibited from driving cars. Additionally, depending on the leadership of each church district, riding a bicycle may or may not be allowed. Their credo is to live in the world but not to belong to it.

They are Christians because they follow the basic unified tenets of the Christian faith. Their weekly and daily practices in church follow traditional Anabaptist theology. They came from Europe two centuries ago to escape religious persecution and have practiced their particular religious doctrine for over 500 years.

In breaking away from the Catholic Church, they chose adult baptism instead of infant baptism. They also view Holy Communion quite differently, not as a sacred rite, but as a communal meal commemorating the death of Jesus Christ. The Amish also distanced themselves from other Anabaptist Christians such as the Mennonites in the 1600s. Because he felt the Mennonites had become too “secular.”

The Amish may be ignorant of higher education, but they are certainly not unintelligent.

As Gen Xers, when someone was called ignorant, it meant they were dirty and rude. The true meaning of ignorance is “lack of knowledge or information,” so it is ironic that those of us who called others harsh words were actually ignorant.

The Amish attend their own schools, but they only go through the 8th grade, instead of graduating in the 12th grade like most Americans. Their schooling focuses on basics such as math, reading, writing, and writing, but also includes Amish history, values, and vocational training. We may know more about the world’s cultures, but today’s trends and advanced mathematics complement years of education in schools and universities, preparing us for life after school. is in place. When did it become necessary to memorize trigonometry or James Joyce to function in society?

They are not rude, but reserved and reserved.

As a gal who loves to habitually say “hello” to strangers, I’ve done the same with Amish men and women, and they always say “hello” and smile back. Simplicity and humility are a big part of this community, but that doesn’t make them backwards. Rather, his modest personality can be seen as a gentle personality filled with humility.

They are polyglots.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Seth Jones, owner of Carriage House in Indiana. Please let me know if you have any questions.I knew in advance that the Amish would speak. pennsylvania He grew up speaking Dutch, a dialect of High German, but learns English at school. Most of the church services are spoken and sung in traditional German. So I asked him if he could understand the German he was hearing and singing. His answer was simple: “Yes.” By the time an Amish adult he knows and understands three languages.

Young people are not forced to become Amish

Rumspringa (German for “jumping”) is an Amish rite of passage that young people go through when they turn 16. During that time, you can do non-Amish things like owning a cell phone and browsing the Internet. I asked Seth Jones again about the custom, and he told me that rumspringa is practiced until marriage and baptism.

Amish youth may enjoy Rum Springa for a few years, but 80 to 90 percent profess their faith through baptism and return to their world. church. Those who decide that non-Amish life is right for them are free to leave the community and are not excluded for not being baptized.

They celebrate major holidays just like we do.

I then asked how they celebrate the holidays, and yes, the Amish do enjoy them. They celebrate Christmas by singing songs, lighting candles, decorating their homes with greenery, and enjoying large amounts of high-calorie meals and gifts. On Easter, we celebrate Good Friday by praying, reading scripture, fasting, and even coloring Easter eggs. What about Independence Day? They participate in fireworks, parades, and picnics just like the rest of us.

In a nutshell

The Amish oppose war and fighting and fight for peace. This is also evident in the community.Even if he’s running down a back road shipshewana and its neighboring towns, I couldn’t help but notice the lack of noise and stress (apart from the livestock). In fact, I enjoyed walking some of the dirt roads and felt safer than walking alone in a big city.

The Amish and the British may seem polar opposites at first glance, but diving deep into their world has taught me a lot about myself, what I value, and whether I can live without it. I was able to learn about. Personally, it would take a huge amount of strength and willpower to give up everything and live a simpler life. That is something I will always respect in the Amish community.

This article was created and distributed by Wealth of Geeks.