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History of the Amish
Wayne and Holmes counties in Ohio have the United States'
densest concentration of Amish. The Amish
are a group of dissenting Christians who grew out of the Anabaptist
movement of Germany and Switzerland. They were led by Jacob
Amman who split from the Mennonites
group in 1690 because he thought they were "following
too closely the ways of the world." Persecuted by both
Church and State, the Amish came to the New World
from 1720 into the nineteenth century in order to maintain
their simple and devout lives. Amish settlements were small,
isolated, and scattered back then but today they number 125,000
people in the United States. They're known to some as "the
quiet in the land" as they shun modern conveniences,
dress plainly and rely on traditional farming, furniture-making
and a host of shops selling home-made crafts and quilts to
make their living.
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Amish culture
The Amish live separately from other people and reject many
modern conveniences and luxuries, using technology only selectively.
Their pace of life is much slower and more regimented; from
an early age, children are brought up to follow in the footsteps
of their parents in their beliefs and professions. Children
are taught to be obedient and respectful and to yield to the
larger purposes of the family and Amish community. Their emphasis
is on personal responsibility, not individual rights. Gentleness
and peace are valued over violence and aggression; pride,
especially in yourself or your accomplishments, is frowned
upon.
Each Amish community follows a different set of society rules
called ordnung. Electricity is considered
unnecessary and cannot be used; telephones are not used at
home, although there can be a community telephone in a booth;
they can't own cars so instead travel in horse-drawn carriages.
Modern machinery cannot be used - even for faming.
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Amish dress
Clothing identifies the group, both to set them apart and
bind them together, and it symbolizes submission to the collective
good. The highly-held values of thrift, modesty, equality,
and simplicity are exhibited through dress. Most Amish clothes
are made in the home. Clothing is always worn out but not
discarded and old rags are recycled into rugs. Adult women
usually wear black to communion services, funerals, and during
mourning. Also included in an Amish woman's wardrobe are black
stockings, tie shoes, a shawl, a bonnet, a cape, and an apron.
Dresses of adult women are fastened with straight pins or
sometimes snap fasteners, although young girls use buttons.
A woman's hair is parted in the middle and covered with a
white organdy (stiff cotton or silk material) cap.
Rumspringa - rites
of passage
Young adolescence is an exciting time for Amish boys and
girls as this is when they get to explore and experience the
wider world before they become baptized into the Amish church.
This rite of passage, from the age of eighteen, is known as
'Rumspringa', when they are allowed to experience
the ways of the English (Amish term for non-Amish). At 21
they must decide if the Amish way is for them, then they are
required to settle down and lead exemplary Amish lives. Around
one in ten young people decide to opt out of the community
during their Rumspringa.
Amish work
Work is looked upon as good and meaningful. A great deal
of work is done in small groups and has a celebratory feel
like cooking a meal together, building a barn, or quilting.
90 percent of Amish income comes from non-farming activities:
making crafts, quilts, and furniture is their main source
of income. There are plenty of great buys to be had in the
local shop or at the community's farmers' auction.
Amish auctions
Auctions are where the Amish sell their animals, farm products,
furniture and crafts - the latter usually to the many tourists
who flock to Berlin during the summer. Sometimes
auctions are held for good causes, perhaps to raise money
for a new barn or to fund medical care for a sick Amish member
who can't afford health insurance. The Amish have no social
security but pool together in times of need. The Church becomes
a kind of savings bank reserved for the community, collecting
ten percent of every Amish wage. Any patronage is doled out
by the Deacon, a form of banker who delegates where the money
should go. In this way, the Amish were able to survive the
Great Depression of the 1930s and look out for each other
during poor harvests today.
Tips for visiting the
Amish in Berlin
- Holmes County, Ohio, is home to 40,000
Amish people, making it the largest Amish community in the
world. Berlin is at the heart of this community
and is a good base to start exploring the area. The best day
to visit Holmes County is auction days; find
out when and where these take place through the local Tourist
Information Bureau, but they are generally held on Wednesdays
and Thursdays.
- The Amish don't like having their photographs
taken at close quarters because it encourages vanity; some
believe photography makes "a graven image", so if
you want to take photos you will need to do it from a distance.
- Live the Amish way by going on an Amish tour
with a reputed guide who will take you into Amish households:
you'll explore the countryside, see Amish farmers at work
in the field, observe women weaving baskets or making quilts,
and you'll end the day with an authentic Amish meal in an
Amish home.
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