Amish society

Total population
318,000+
(2017, Old Order Amish)[1]
Founder
Jakob Ammann
Regions with significant populations
United States (notably Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana)
Canada (notably Ontario)
Religions
Anabaptist
Scriptures
The Bible
Languages
Pennsylvania German, Bernese German, Low Alemannic
Alsatian German, Amish High German, English

The Amish are a group of traditionalist Christian

church fellowships with Swiss origins.. The Amish
are known for simple living, plain dress, and
reluctance to adopt many conveniences of modern
technology. The history of the Amish church began
with a schism in Switzerland within a group of Swiss
and Alsatian Anabaptists

Family and personal life

Having children, raising them, and socialization with neighbors and relatives are the greatest functions of the
Amish family. Amish believe large families are a blessing from God. The family has authority over the individual
throughout life. Loyalties to parents, grandparents, Parents stress their responsibilities and obligations for the
correct nurture of their children. They consider themselves accountable to the Lord for the spiritual welfare of
their children

The family provides the member with a status within the home and within
the community. A person is more a member of the family, rather than an
individual. Each member has a job, a position, a responsibility, and a status.
The Amish traditional family provides much of the education for the child.
Although the formal education ends after they finish eighth grade, the boy
or girl is trained for their adult tasks. The boys will work with the father in
the fields, in the barn, and around the buildings. The girls work inside the
home and garden, alongside the mother.
Sports
Sports and recreation are shared by all members of the family. There are
church outings and family get-togethers where activities are entered into and
shared by all.

Weddings
Marrying a first cousin is not allowed among the Amish, and second-
cousin relationships are frowned upon, though they may occur. Marriage
to a "Schwartz" cousin (the first cousin once removed) is not permitted in
Lancaster County. Weddings are typically held on Tuesdays and Thursdays
in November to early December, after the harvest. The bride wears a new
blue linen dress that will be worn again on other formal occasions. She
wears no makeup and will not receive an engagement or wedding ring

The marriage ceremony itself may take several hours, followed by a community reception that includes a banquet,
singing, and storytelling. Newlyweds spend the wedding night at the home of the bride's parents.

Lifestyle and culture

Amish lifestyle is dictated by the (German, meaning: order), which
differs slightly from community to community, and, within a
community, from district to district. What is acceptable in one
community may not be acceptable in another. No summary of Amish
lifestyle and culture can be totally adequate because there are few
generalities that are true for all Amish. Groups may separate over
matters such as the width of a hat-brim, the color of buggies, or
various other issues. The use of tobacco (excluding cigarettes, which
are considered "worldly"and moderate use of alcohol are generally
permitted, particularly among older and more conservative groups.

Clothing
The common theme among all Amish clothing is plainness;
clothing should not call attention to the wearer by cut, color, or
any other feature. Hook-and-eye closures or straight pins are
used as fasteners on dress clothing rather than buttons,
zippers, or velcro. Snaps are used on everyday clothes, and
plain buttons for work shirts and trousers. The historic
restriction on buttons is attributed to tradition and their
potential for ostentation Some groups tend to limit color to
black (trousers, dresses) and white (shirts),

while others allow muted colors. Dark blue denim work

clothing is common within some groups as well. The Old Order Amish often sew their own clothing, Women wear
calf-length plain-cut dresses in a solid color. Aprons are often worn at home, usually, in white (typically for the
unmarried) or purple or black (for the married), and are always worn when attending church. A cape, which
consists of a triangular piece of cloth, is usually worn, beginning around the teenage years

Amish furniture
Amish furniture is furniture marketed as being made by the Amish,
primarily of Ohio and Shipshewana, Indiana. It is generally known as
being made of 100% wood, usually without particle board or
laminate. Amish furniture making is often a skill passed through
many generations. Because Amish beliefs prevent the use of
electricity, many woodworking tools in Amish shops are powered by
a hydraulic and pneumatic power that is run on diesel generators.
No piece of furniture is ever identical to another because of the care taken to select the wood. The grain is
different on every piece of wood, and the craftsmen often try to highlight the features of each individual piece.

Music
Amish music is primarily German in origin, including ancient singing
styles not found anywhere in Europe. Sacred music originates from
modern hymns derived from the Pennsylvania German culture

Singing is a major part of Amish churches and some songs take over
fifteen minutes to sing. "Lob Lied" is a well known Amish song. It is
always the second song sung at an Amish church service and is often
sung at Amish weddings.

Sings" or "Singings", are attended by young people approaching marriage-age. They are usually held in
barns on a Sunday evening after a worship service and are an essential element in Amish courting
practices as the young participants are encouraged to engage in social discourse between songs.

Retirement

When the Amish choose to retire is neither a set nor fixed time. Considerations of the person's health,
the family's needs, and personal desires all play an important part in determining when retirement may
occur, usually between the ages of fifty and seventy. The elderly do not go to a retirement facility; they
remain at home. If the family house is large enough they continue living with everyone else.

Language
In addition to English, most Old Order Amish speak a distinctive German dialect called Pennsylvania German or,
much more commonly, Pennsylvania Dutch. Pennsylvania German is related to the Palatinate German of the 18th
century. It has also been strongly influenced by American English.

Now spoken primarily by the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonites, Pennsylvania German was originally
spoken by many German-American immigrants in Pennsylvania and surrounding areas, especially those who came
prior to 1800. There are also several sizable Old Order Amish communities where a variety of Swiss German is
spoken, rather than Pennsylvania German.