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.
Amish life revolves around the home and much of their time is spent together working on their property. In the mornings, children immediately get to work on their morning chores, such as milking the cows, feeding their livestock, gathering eggs, and cleaning up the animal pens.
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.
Sports such as basketball and volleyball are enjoyed by many Amish people. Solitary activities, such as reading and writing, are also fun pastimes for the Amish. We could all do to learn something from this simple, peaceful, and community-orientated way of living.
“Yes, Amish families do play games and read together in the evenings. Parents are involved in their children's activities. However, there are not long evenings in an Amish family.
Feminine Hygiene
Female Amish wash their hair and wear it in a bun. As for makeup, Amish women aren't allowed to wear cosmetics or adornments considered worldly. This includes lipstick, mascara, eye shadow, and jewelry.
DO NOT stare or point or otherwise be disrespectful of the Amish. If you see an Amish family in town, they are likely there to do some shopping, stop by the bank or do some other errand just like you do with your family.
Unmarried Amish men and women aren't supposed to have any physical contact with each other. This includes kissing, hugging, and even holding hands.
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.
If the youth go dating outside their community, they may expose themselves to worldly temptations that distract them from their duty to their faith. Like the youth in non-Amish societies, Amish teenagers are allowed to date each other.
Women are to keep their hair long and worn in a single braid or bun that is pinned behind their head. Hair must be kept out of sight, as it's seen as too sensual and can be distracting for men in the community. The reason Amish women don't cut their hair is more than just aesthetic preference.
Those Amish who don't drink alcohol may abstain for religious or personal reasons. That said, even those communities that do allow it generally stick to wine or beer rather than hard liquor. When they do consume alcohol, they usually enjoy it in moderation rather than drink to get drunk.
Amish farming is done on large acres of land and is thus a big part of their income. They make money from selling dairy products, cereals, livestock, and eggs. Some sell their goods at farmers' markets or roadside stands, while others sell directly to consumers who visit their farms.
They don't permit any running water indoors, so collect rainwater and use wells to get their water. They also use a freestanding tub for bathing. The Amish make their own Amish goat's milk soap, which is a great general cleanser.
The use of technology is acceptable but not celebrated in Amish communities. Amish individuals who use technology will never try to show their cellphones or computers and will always keep that separate from their Amish way of life.
What is Rumspringa? Rumspringa, loosely translated in Pennsylvania Dutch as "running around," is a coming-of-age period in which Amish youth decide whether they wish to be baptized as Amish and join the church, or leave the community. It generally extends from ages 16-21.
Amish men and women usually assume traditional and well-defined gender roles. Husbands carry the primary responsibility for the financial well-being of the family. Wives typically devote themselves to housekeeping and motherhood.
What happens when an Amish husband dies? Remarriage After the Death of a Spouse. Widows and widowers may enter a courtship and remarry, and many Amish people do after losing a loved one. Because the Amish have large families, remarriage results in large extended families.
Marriage in the Amish community is seen as a passage into adulthood. To get married in the Amish community, members must be baptized in the church. Outsiders, non-Amish, or 'English', as they call the rest of the world, are not permitted to marry within the Amish community.
All types of birth control, and also all forms of natural family planning such as calendar-based methods, are forbidden in Old-Order Amish communities. However, especially in recent years, more Amish women have begun using contraception.
According to the Schwartzentruber Amish Ordinance Letter, Amish women are not permitted to shave their legs or underarms. Amish ordinances also forbid women from cutting their hair.
However, in addition to the modesty aspect, women must keep their heads covered at all times so that they can pray at any time. Both modesty and prayer are central to the daily lives of Amish people and for women, wearing head coverings and bonnets is an important part of that.
Most Amish people enjoy talking with outsiders, if they don't feel like they are regarded as animals in the zoo.
Since the Amish feel strongly about their community and honoring God by respecting others, much of their spare time is spent connecting with others. The Amish will often visit with relatives, neighbors, church friends, and even non-Amish friends.
Shirts fasten with conventional buttons; suit coats and vests fasten with hooks and eyes. Men do not wear mustaches and generally wait until after marriage to grow beards. Amish women wear modest, solid-colored dresses, usually with long sleeves and a full skirt, a cape and apron.