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.
The Amish do not let their mustaches grow, ever. This tradition dates back hundreds of years and connects to the fact that the Amish refuse to enlist in the military. The Amish are non-violent people, and back in the day, mustaches were associated with the forces — in which they wanted no part.
#1: A mustache is forbidden in Amish culture
That's right, this isn't just a popular style. It is forbidden to wear a mustache for several of the reasons listed below. Amish men are to shave their upper lip and surrounding area until it's down to the wood, as they say.
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.
The Amish beard is something earned after marriage, and an Amish neckbeard tends to be a byproduct of a lack of regular trimming rather than a stylistic choice. Amish hair rules strictly discourage vanity, so any neckbeard you see on an Amish man is very likely only there because the man's facial hair grows that way.
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.
Do Amish shave their legs and armpits? 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.
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 practice of wearing Amish bonnets or head coverings is stated explicitly in 1 Corinthians 11. It strongly suggests that men should keep their heads uncovered during prayer and prophesying, while women should wear head coverings at all times, especially during prayers.
The bowl-cut is the most common hairstyle for Amish men, as it offers an easy way to keep their hair short and neat. It's a classic style that has been around since the 19th century and is still popular today among Amish communities. The bowl cut got its name from the way the cut was executed in the early days.
Therefore, if a young man is genetically unable to grow facial hair, he is not penalized in any way. He will still be able to get married, even if his face is as smooth and hair-free as a handmade Amish doll. As long as he is not clean shaven through his own doing, there will be no repercussions.
Divorce is forbidden in the Amish church. To get divorced is to violate a vow made during Amish baptism and is punishable by shunning.
Black and White Bonnets
An unmarried woman may be in the process of an Amish courtship, but until she gets hitched, she wears a black bonnet. Once married, a woman will swap out her old black bonnet for a fresh white one.
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.
As you probably already know, Amish don't wear jewelry. This includes wedding rings and engagement rings. No jewelry of any kind. In Lancaster County Amish men traditionally would have a pocket watch rather than a wristwatch for the same reason.
The Amish (/ˈɑːmɪʃ/; Pennsylvania German: Amisch; German: Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churches, a separate Anabaptist denomination.
Amish Beliefs on Buttons
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.
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.
Amish women's dresses are generally made from generous amounts of fabric so that they don't emphasize the woman's figure, and fully or nearly-fully cover legs. The white or black head covering Amish females wear is known as a kapp or prayer covering.
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.
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.
My ex-wife Priscilla was an Amish. We met during her Rumspringa. She told me they used to fill a wooden bath once a week and then the family would take turns bathing in it.
As a general thing, I think the carpenters tend to start work earlier and get off earlier, so they can have more time with their families. Concerning deodorant, yes, the Amish DO wear deodorant. If they don't, it's their personal choice.
Islam. Throughout the Islamic world, hair removal is considered in the context of religious law. Amongst Muslims, hair removal is part of an impulse towards general purity and cleanliness and includes the trimming of nails and the removing of armpit and pubic hair.
Conclusion. So the Amish do bathe using soap and water just like the rest of us, even if they're sometimes a bit more old-fashioned about it. It's both a reminder of the importance of tradition and history to the Amish and that they aren't as different from us in some basic human ways as we might think.