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.
The Amish stay up after dark, but they go to bed early: typically between 9 and 9.30pm in summer, and more like 8.30-9pm in winter. Most people start work at around 5.30am, so they're often up by 4.45am.
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.
Pentecost actually falls on a Sunday, but the Amish take the following Monday off to rest. They use the day off to reflect on their faith and remind themselves that their faith is more important than work and money.
In conclusion, the Amish have strict hair rules that are deeply rooted in their belief system. 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 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.
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.
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.
The Amish are known for using horse & buggy for transportation, being off the public (electrical) power grid, they have no TV, computers, Wifi, and the phone is usually outside in a “shanty” or barn. These lodgings tend to be more “authentic”, but they are quite simple and without many frills.
If you're from a different culture you may be used to having a variety of things to drink with your meal from ice tea to milk to coffee. Its water for the Amish. But don't forget to have a cup of coffee after dessert while you sit around to chat. Meadow tea is also a favorite.
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.
Concerning deodorant, yes, the Amish DO wear deodorant. If they don't, it's their personal choice.
Most Amish women tend to wash clothes using an old-time tub-style wringer washers. Some Old Order and Swartzentruber Amish still use boiling water in a large pot and “swoosh” the clothes around until the clothes are clean. There's usually a set schedule for laundry day, for many Amish families it is Monday.
Fascinatingly, Amish women do wear underwear, but Amish men are prohibited from wearing underpants. Instead of conventional pajamas, Amish men generally wear long linen shirts to bed, although they do also wear flannel shirts in the winter to keep warm.
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.
There's no prohibition on alcohol in most communities, but certain strict Old Order communities aren't in favor of it. You'll never see Amish men going outside of the community to bars and other such establishments. If they do drink, they do so at home or in the community, at a social gathering.
The Amish Use Mirrors
The use of a mirror is allowed because unlike a picture, it is not a graven image.
It is also not unusual to see Amish using such 2Oth-century technologies as inline skates, disposable diapers, cell phones and gas barbecue grills, because they are not specifically prohibited by the Ordnung.
Not only do the Amish not actively practice polygamy, they certainly don't believe in it. They view polygamy as adultery. Although the various Amish settlements may interpret certain rules slightly differently, there is no deviation from this law. The Amish believe in traditional marriage between one man and one woman.
In short, Amish women don't shave because they aren't allowed to cut their hair.
As part of their Ordnung, Old Order Amish forbid owning automobiles; tapping electricity from public utility lines; owning televisions, radios, or personal computers; attending high school or college; joining the military; and initiating divorce. All Amish groups expect men and women to wear prescribed clothing.
Do the Amish celebrate Christmas? Yes, they do, although their customs are much simpler than our “English” customs. They are oriented toward the family and the religious meaning of the holiday.
A family leaves behind the trappings of the 21st century to lead a simple, self-sufficient and pious life in rural Tasmania.
I think the level of integration with the modern world varies community to community (some Amish communities are more insular than others) but the most conservative of them will probably use the same methods women used for hundreds of years — wrapping themselves with strips of material, or wrapping their shift/ ...
The Amish women wear full-length bloomers, usually made of white cotton or muslin fabric. These bloomers are worn underneath their skirts and as a layer between their skin and the bonnet.