The Amish practice a form of bedroom ritual called "bundling." In bundling, a young man and woman spend time together in the same room, usually fully clothed and often with a board or blanket between them. This allows them to get to know each other without the distraction of physical contact.
In summer, conservative Amish tend to bathe at least twice weekly to eliminate dirt and sweat. The women may bathe more frequently and keep the home clean as well. New Order Amish may bathe more frequently than the Swatzentruber order, taking advantage of running water for showers or baths.
Since morning comes early, most Amish families are in bed by 8:30 – 9:00 pm. Rest and getting adequate sleep is imperative for the Amish since much of their day is spent doing manual labor.
Uneheliche beischlaf, which is “bed courtship” or “bundling,” is a custom where an Amish boy spends the night in his girl's bed, right in the same house with her parents. Pre-marital sex is strictly forbidden.
The Amish will only wear solid-colored clothing. Patterns are not allowed since they are too decorative and worldly. Other rules ban buttons, so men use suspenders, and women use pins or clasps to fasten clothing.
Amish women, however, have to wear their head coverings at all times. An Amish bonnet or head covering is called kapp (or prayer cover). It is worn and topped with a black Amish bonnet used by women in Amish communities during certain occasions.
Amish women keep their hair long and never cut or style it, while men are allowed to keep their hair shorter but still must wear hats when outdoors.
The Amish Community and Dating
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.
It is clear that women are valued in Amish culture, and on some levels are even afforded types of equality and freedoms that women outside of Amish society might not be. In Amish weddings, for example, the woman is not “given away” by her father to her future husband, as is often done in non-Amish weddings.
Marriage is deemed a sacred act in the eyes of God. As marriages between Amish and outsiders are forbidden, instances of Amish dating outsiders are rare but not entirely unheard of.
Birth control and abortion are forbidden by religious doctrine, even when pregnancy is life threatening. The Amish church has no rule against immunization, but only 16-26% of Amish children have received immunizations against the common childhood diseases.
But they don't pick up their children to hug and kiss them. There are no rules against such demonstrations of love… it is just not done. Another interesting fact about affections, is that the Amish don't have a way of saying “I love you” in their language.
Amish Birth Culture
Members of this faith-based community typically practice home births, which are performed without modern medical interventions such as epidurals or pain relief medications.
Concerning deodorant, yes, the Amish DO wear deodorant. If they don't, it's their personal choice.
Instead of indoor plumbing and toilets, they use outhouses. They then dip out their waste by bucket, treat it with lime, mix it with animal manure and spread on their farm.
Instead of flushing toilets, outhouses are commonly used. This is true of the most conservative Amish, the Swartzentruber Amish. Interestingly, even communities that have indoor plumbing, sometimes still use outhouses. Farming communities use waste as fertilizer for their fields.
Amish women are expected to cook, clean, and care for the children. They also often help with farm work. While some Amish women do work outside the home, it is usually in a job that is related to the home, such as being a midwife or a teacher. The Amish believe it's important for women to be involved in the community.
Amish men are expected to be good husbands and fathers. They are responsible for providing for their families and for leading their households. They're also expected to be loving and supportive of their wives and children.
The Amish and Mennonites believe that it is a Biblical command for women to cover their heads while praying. And we must always be ready to pray, therefore they wear a prayer covering all the time. They believe that a woman having her head covered is a sign that she is in submission to her husband.
The blue door is typically a shade of navy that's been chosen to represent the "blue sky" of heaven. It symbolizes how the Amish believe in looking forward and striving for spiritual growth beyond our earthly lives.
In addition, members of the Amish community are allowed to remarry after their spouse passes. Widows sometimes garner financial assistance from their families or the church and may even find work outside of the home, according to Amish America.
In the case of Amish women, this identification of marital status is very simple. The bonnets they wear are how to tell if an Amish woman is married. They all wear traditional bonnets on their heads, but while single women wear black, married women wear white.
In short, Amish women don't shave because they aren't allowed to cut their hair.
Amish Beard Rules Were Among the First Amish Laws
He believed that, because God designed man to grow a beard, it was God's Will that man grow a beard. And therefore, shaving it off was a sin. But the Amish are not alone in their reverence for the beard.
If they were in a very private place, they may wear a traditional swimsuit, especially if they were alone. However, more commonly they would wear a regular light weight dress with shorts underneath. Some believe that it makes them stronger swimmers and most believe it to be more modest.