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Image of Amish Homesteads. Photo By Praswin Prakashan –

20 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About The Amish People

For a community living in a 1st world country, the Amish sure are the odd ones out compared to the rest of Americans. This conservative group of people have embraced little to no technology, shunned the use of automobiles, and on top of that segregate themselves from non-Amish communities. 

These communities of people live in small groups and have rules that govern their day-to-day lives. They have an intriguing lifestyle and I bet you probably didn’t know that:

1. Amish Language Was Formed Over 300 Years Ago

The Amish language is known as Pennsylvania Dutch. It is a combination of English and Palatine Dutch. It was formed in the 1700s and became a distinctive dialect of the Old Order Amish.

Some Amish communities also speak Swiss German, German from Switzerland. Those from the late 1900s are predominantly English speakers.

2. They Live By A Set Of Rules Known As The Ordnung

The Amish guiding rules are known as Ordnung. The term’s English translation means being organized, orderly, and systematic.

One of its many rules includes not wearing any jewelry such as wedding bands and engagement rings. The said rules are used by the Conservative and Old Older Mennonites. Would you believe that these rules are largely unwritten but are still followed to a tee?

3. They Have An Average of 7 Children Per Family

This map shows all US counties with Amish settlements in 2021. Photo Source

According to 2022 population data, there are over 300,000 Amish living in the United States. After every 20 years, their numbers double. This is because an average nuclear family consists of at least 9 people, inclusive of both parents.

 The Amish believe that having a large family is a symbol of God’s blessings. The children are also a source of labor and begin doing household chores and farm work from the age of 4.

4. The Amish People Strictly Wear Solid Coloured Clothing

Image of Amish Gathering. Photo By Amyd –

An easy characteristic to pick out from the Amish is the lack of patterns or vibrant floral prints in their clothing. They keep their attires simple and stick to shades of blue, brown, grey, black, and purple.

The clothes are made in their homesteads. In some communities, they refrain from using buttons; clothes are fastened by suspenders and clasps.

For the Amish, items of clothing are meant to be functional. The simplicity also encourages humility and equality among themselves and segregates them from the outside world.

5. The Women Are Not Allowed To Cut Their Hair

According to the bible, a woman’s hair is a representation of her glory. It is for this reason that the Amish women are prohibited from cutting it. They are allowed to braid it or tie it up in a bun.

Just like the Muslim community, Amish women are expected to cover their hair with a bonnet when outside their houses. They may, however, leave the front loose when inside their homes.

6. The Amish Rag Doll Has No Facial Features

A photo of Amish faceless dolls. Photo Soure

One Amish folk narrates the story of an angry father who decapitates his daughter’s Christmas doll. He was upset that someone would attempt to make a human-like creature, work that was only done by God. He also interpreted it as breaking the second commandment on worshipping idols.

The Amish adopted this in all rag dolls. The faceless head was used to symbolize alikeness in the eyes of God.

Aside from the Amish rag dolls, the Dominican dolls adopted this characteristic in 1981 as part of their history.

7. There Are Only Granted Two Days Off From School In A Year

Children of the Amish community study up to the 8^th grade before fully committing to farming work. Of all public holidays, school is only closed during Christmas and Easter.

When they finish the school year by the first weeks of May, they head out to aid in farm work the rest of the summer. Since high school and College are not part of their education system, the 14 years olds are considered old enough to begin running family businesses.

8. Young Adults Are Given A Chance To ‘Hop Around’ Before Committing To The Amish Culture

Smartphone and Computer. Photo By Timothy Hales Bennett –  

When children reach the age of seventeen in the Amish community, they are given the opportunity to live past their conservative culture and explore other customs. In some communities, this rite of passage is referred to as rumspringa, English for hopping around.

Teenagers are allowed to participate in activities such as driving, joining social media sites such as Facebook, and use recreational drugs. Despite still being under strict parents, they do get away with rebellious behavior.

After two years, the young adults get to decide if they will continue living as Amish or not. Those who accept are baptized and ushered into the community.  

9. Amish People Only Get Married After Baptism

The Amish allow matrimonial unions after both parties have come of age and received Jesus as their personal savior. Since they originated from Anabaptist culture, children are baptized when they are between the age of 18 to 22.

The Amish believe that concept of baptism can only be grasped after understanding their religion as a whole. The other restriction pertaining to marriage is that the man and the woman shouldn’t belong to the same congregation.

10. The Amish Male Beard Or Lack Thereof Is A Symbol Of One’s Marital Status

Amish man in straw hat with shenandoah beard. Photo By Ivan McClellan –

In the Amish community, men are allowed to grow their beards only after they are off the market. This is because they don’t allow the wearing of wedding bands. The outgrown beards are also a symbol of maturity.

The typical Amish beard is over 15 cm long. It is exclusive of the mustache or soul patch as this is prohibited in the community.

11. Some of The Amish Songs Take Over Fifteen Minutes To Sing

The Amish style of singing and types of hymns are distinct to their community. Some are adopted from ancient Pennsylvania Dutch culture while others are of German origin. Other English songs are only sung outside the religious services.

The hymns are monophonic and can be as long as 15 minutes. In order for one to participate in choir singing, one must be over 18 years.

12. They Don’t Play Any Music Instruments In Public

In the Amish community, playing musical instruments in public is prohibited. Though they learn how to play the accordion and harmonica, the community believes that showing off this skill is a form of encouraging superiority and pride.

The same concept also applies to their religious services. Live music is performed in groups of choirs who use only their vocals. Imagine a Sunday service without the piano chords or the beats from the drum set!

13. They Are Prohibited From Joining The Law Enforcement

The Amish have a strict no-violence policy. They live by the law of absolute pacifism that is, it is not right to partake in violence or war.

Since the community does not condone the use of any physical force, its members are exempted from joining the military even when they come of age.

14. It Is Against Their Rules To Use Automobiles

Amish buggy offering tourist rides in Shipshewana, Indiana. Photo By Tysto –

For the Amish, the main means of transport are horses and carriages. Though they are against the use of automobiles and bicycles, scooters are allowed for shorter distances. Cars are only used when they are driven by a non-Amish.

This group of Anabaptists believes that automobiles take away the communal aspect of interacting with neighbors. 

Want to learn about Jakob Ammann, an Anabaptist leader and the Amish religious movement’s namesake, click on this link.

15. Despite Being Devout Christians, They Have No Church Buildings Within Their Communities

The Amish worship God in form of small congregations. Every community has its district made up of about 150 to 250 members. The districts are formed by geographic locations and are segregated when the congregation gets too large.

For the Sunday services, the members rotate amongst each other’s households where they have preaching. The ministers, deacons, and bishops serve the congregation unpaid.  

16. The Amish People Hang Their Christmas Tree Upside Down

Christmas is one of the few celebrated holidays among the Amish. Unlike the English, they don’t go all out on their decorations; theirs is quite simple. They stick to small candles and some greenery.

Something interesting to note is that they hang their Christmas tree wrong side up, an ancient European tradition. The reasoning behind this is so that the edible garlands on the trees are not eaten by mice and rats.

Another unique aspect of this Amish holiday is that they have a Second Christmas! What is celebrated as boxing day in other countries is observed as a Second Christmas among the Amish.

Here’s more insight on English Christmas and the 10 best Christmas trees to visit in London.

17. They Work Six Out of The Seven Days In A Week

Amish farmer. Photo By Nesnad –

The Amish pride themselves on being self-sufficient. They generate their electricity, make their furniture, grow their produce, and process their food. For this reason, you are guaranteed it is almost always a busy day in their communities.   

Sunday is the only day off as it is preserved for worship and family. The rest of the 6 days are used for working inside the bans, on the farms, or doing house chores.

18. They Have A Low Obesity Rate Despite Their High Fat Diet

The Amish meals consist of plenty of potatoes, gravy, butter, meat, cakes, pies, and eggs. This community does enjoy its high-sugar and high-fat meals. Surprisingly, they have an obesity rate of 4%, eight times less than the general population in the U.S.

Their good health is attributed to the hard manual labor done almost daily. The men spend around 10 hours a week doing physically demanding labor while the women average about 3 hours.

See foods that are high in cholesterol on the Discover Walks website.

19. The Amish People Have Harsh Punishments For Lawbreakers

Group of Amish Children. Photo By Kia Sari –

Amish members are expected to abide by the Ordnung. However, they are only allowed to live outside the set rules right before their baptism during the rumspringa.

If an Amish breaks any of the laws, they are shunned or ex-communicated from the community. Shunning is the practice of limiting interaction with the lawbreakers of society. An ex-communicated Amish is completely cut off from their family and their community.

20. Divorced Partners Are Shunned By The Amish Community

The Amish community is highly against divorce. Since marriage is a commitment between God and man it is taken as lifelong

 For couples that decide to end their matrimony, they must appear before the public, confess and ask for forgiveness. Before being accepted back into the community, they are isolated and banned from participating in any activities.

The Amish culture has inspired literary works such as Amish Snow (2020), Rumspringa: To Be or Not To Be Amish (2006), and movies such as Rumspringa (2022). Their way of life might seem quite harsh at first, but with a little getting used to, it would feel like the proper way to actually live.

Learn about the famous people from the Amish on the Discover Walks website