There is no prohibition in the Bible about pedal power. On the face of it, the Amish are caught here by their own historical man-made precedents. Apparently bicycles were very expensive when first available, and also relatively impractical on rural unlaced roads. So the bike never became part of the Amish culture.
The reasoning here locally goes that the bicycle is a faster mode of transportation and would stretch the traditional boundaries (both physical and metaphorical) of the Amish community. In essence, the Scooter is to Buggy as the Bike is to Car for the Lancaster Amish.
Thus, the Amish don't use cars or bicycles for transportation, but they will use skateboards. They don't use electricity, but they do use disposable diapers.
The Ordnung (set of community rules) forbids women from shaving. What's more, because the Amish interpretation of the New Testament considers cutting hair a shameful act (1 Corinthians 11:5-15), women don't cut or shave any hair on their bodies.
For transportation, the Amish do not use cars. They may ride in them if they are driven by non-Amish. Instead, they drive horse drawn buggies, a common sight in Lancaster County. For shorter distances, they may use scooters, but bicycles are also banned.
Plain clothes are not revealing. Women's dresses are loose and not form-fitting. Men wear long trousers in public in summer as well as winter, rather than shorts. Amish believe that a plain appearance befits a Christian people who emphasize internal virtues over appearance and other superficial external qualities.
Buttons, like zippers, are seen as a form of modern convenience. They're believed to promote vanity and draw attention to the clothing considered inappropriate in the Amish community. Instead, they use straight pins or hooks and eyes on clothing that require closure.
Buttons are frowned upon because of their potential for ostentation, and such things as Velcro and zippers are banned. Instead, clothes are fastened by pins or hook-and-eye closures. Slightly smarter clothes, such as capes, are used for religious services.
“In the Amish faith a man's beard and a women's hair are sacred religious symbols,” Bridget M. Brennan, an assistant U.S. attorney, said in her opening statement. “The beard and the hair are symbols of Amish righteousness, religious symbols that God is present in their lives.”
The Amish are devout Christians, and as such, many of their traditions originate from the Bible. The Amish perceive hair as a sacred symbol of devotion to God. Because of this, cutting it is considered a shameful dismissal of this precious token.
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.
The Amish believe that going barefoot keeps them closer to the earth and nature, and therefore keeps them closer to God. There's no easier way to enhance the bond with God's natural creations. As such a pious people, this is of great importance to the Amish.
In order to separate themselves physically from those who would engage in military service (while letting the world know they were married, because the Amish don't exchange wedding rings), they decided to grow beards but shave their lips.
You will never see patterns on any of their clothing and all of the men's suits, and the women's dresses, are all plain colored. The rules require that only solid colors can be used and the colors typically consist of black, blue, burgundy, brown, purple, or green.
Fashion accessories are pretty much unknown in the Amish community. Items that you may take for granted such as sunglasses, handbags or belts don't feature in their dress code. The main reason for this is that they call attention to the wearer.
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.
Considering it a violation of the Second Commandment, which prohibits the making of "graven images," the Amish believe any physical representation of themselves (whether a photograph, a painting, or film) promotes individualism and vanity, taking away from the values of community and humility by which they govern their ...
The Amish also believe marriage should be between a man and a woman. Same-sex relationships are not allowed within the Amish community. Unmarried Amish men and women aren't supposed to have any physical contact with each other. This includes kissing, hugging, and even holding hands.
A commitment to modesty means a man must not wear any jewelry, including a wedding ring. So instead, a married man stops shaving his beard, indicating that he is completely a man and the head of his family. His beard symbolizes his commitment to his wife, his children and his religion.
Because the Amish community does not allow for divorce, the courting process is taken very seriously.
Each person sleeps on their side of the bed, with a board in between them to prevent any physical contact. The couple is allowed to talk to each other during the night, but they're not allowed to touch each other.
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.
Yes, the Amish bathe, but they often do it without electricity, and sometimes without indoor plumbing. They usually heat the water on a stove in order to have a warm bath. This labor-intensive process is one reason that the Amish don't normally bathe every day.
Do Amish women wear panties? Well, Amish women must cover their entire bodies, and so women are expected to wear underwear. However, their undergarments are different from what we in the modern world consider panties. The Amish women wear full-length bloomers, usually made of white cotton or muslin fabric.
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.