On Christmas Day, the Amish celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in a similar fashion to many non-Amish families: They light Christmas candles. Some families decorate the home with greenery. They have a big meal of turkey or ham with all of the delicious side dishes.
Many Amish take this day as an opportunity to rest and reflect on the significance of the Magi visiting and presenting gifts to the Christ child. Some observe Old Christmas much like they would the Sabbath and, depending on the day it falls, this may include attending a church service.
However, the Amish celebrate what's called 'Epiphany' or 'Old Christmas' on January 6 — but why? According to Amish tradition, January 6 (twelve days after Christmas) was the date that the Three Wise Men came to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus. And for a long time, centuries ago, Christmas was celebrated on January 6.
An Amish Christmas
But Christmas for the Amish is not a time for Jack Frost, elves, or visiting Santa Claus. Rather, Christmas is focused on the celebration of Christ's birth. As the holiday approaches, some Amish families may decorate with greens inside their homes.
Just like the Amish celebrate Easter, they celebrate the birth of Jesus. The Amish view Christmas as a day to pay homage to Jesus and his teachings. They often attend a church service on Christmas day and spend the holiday exchanging gifts and reminiscing about Jesus's birth.
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 do prepare Christmas dinner. The menu can differ from family to family but like you, some of the most common dishes are turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, fruits, and plenty of desserts.
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.
Although the Amish have a strict aversion to technology and much of what they deem “worldly activities”, birthdays are a time of celebration in Amish communities. Amish People will receive gifts, cards, congratulations and food as people celebrate their birthdays in their communities.
The Amish are a Christian group in North America. The term refers primarily to the Old Order Amish Mennonite Church. The church originated in the late 17th century among followers of Jakob Ammann.
While the Amish do not take pictures of themselves, they do use mirrors. The use of a mirror is allowed because unlike a picture, it is not a graven image. Women use mirrors to do their hair and men use mirrors to shave. If you take our guided farmhouse tour, you'll spot a few mirrors in the house.
Pennsylvania Dutch is the language used by the Amish population here in Lancaster County. It is considered to be their first and native language. The Amish learn to read, write and speak in English, allowing them to communicate with the 'outside world'.
Phones and computers are prohibited in nearly all Amish homes. The Amish often view many forms of technology as something that can separate families or weaken the community structure by distancing individuals.
Families also exchange some small gifts – and some send Christmas cards, often to their “English” friends. Christmas card making is a very popular tradition – adults & children make handmade “stamped” Christmas cards – some of them are now even sold in Amish stores.
As a Christian church they follow the basic tenets of Christian faith; however, they emphasize adult baptism, simplicity, community, separation from popular culture, the separation of church and state, and pacifism. Their roots reach back to the Anabaptist movement in 1525 at the time of the Protestant Reformation.
Amish Marriage. Marriage between Amish and outsiders is rare. That's because it's not allowed by Amish Law. However, should an outsider decide to convert to the Amish faith and get baptized, they'll be accepted as a member of the Amish community.
In line with their beliefs and traditions, the Amish don't wear personal jewelry. While this means they don't show off their marriage in the way most other Americans do, they're no less joyous and celebratory of their commitment.
All dating is pursued to find a marriage partner. If a person chooses to remain unmarried, that is not necessarily a problem. But they would have to lead a life of celibacy, as premarital and extramarital sex is forbidden by Amish societal rules.
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/ ...
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.
Hair Is Sacred
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.
The Amish do use sugar. It's a common ingredient in their meals, and not only the sweet treats. However, this sugar intake is balanced out by the fact that they don't consume sugars in processed foods and sodas like non-Amish tend to do.
Traditional Amish food includes dishes like tasty roasted chicken, creamy mashed potatoes & gravy, seasoned vegetables, fresh bread, and homemade jam. The Amish are also known for excellent baked goods, especially pies, cookies, breads, cakes, and fry pies.
The Amish never work on Sundays as it is their worship day.