Yes, the Amish eat a lot of dairy, as milk, cheese, and butter from their own farms are fundamental to their traditional diet, used in cooking and as staples, often made from grass-fed cows and consumed fresh or fermented. Dairy provides essential nutrients, and while diets vary, it's a key part of their nourishment alongside homegrown vegetables, meats, and whole grains, with many enjoying it daily.
The Amish Have No Dietary Restrictions
“What do the Amish eat?” is the most popular question we get from tourists. Having no dietary restrictions means they can eat whatever their heart desires.
In many Amish homes, rags are a common toilet paper alternative. These rags are typically old clothes that have been worn out. After simple processing, they become practical cleaning tools.
Therefore, the use of condoms by Amish men is strictly forbidden and condemned in most, if not all, Amish communities.
Summary: The Amish typically have their teeth pulled out by unlicensed dentists instead of incurring the high cost of dentistry. They perceive dentures as more cost effective and easier to maintain oral health.
Dental Health Behavior.
Almost two-thirds of this Amish population reported brushing their teeth less than once a day, while only 1.3 percent brushed twice or more a day; 2.6 percent reported never having brushed their teeth.
Rumspringa is a period that begins at age sixteen and ends with the promise of baptism, during this period young Amish are exposed to the outside world. Another problem the Amish community faces during the Rumspringa period is unexpected pregnancy.
Covering their hair is seen as a way to distinguish themselves from men and to show their role as caretakers of the home and family. As a matter of fact, Amish women don't cut or shave any hair from their bodies.
I don't know about all of them but 28 years ago before I left we did not use any store bought tampons or pads. Instead we used these ripped up towels and rags and they would be like this long and we would roll them four or five times and then we would use four safety pins and pin them to our homemade underwear.
This is allowed and not considered a sin by the Amish. However, divorce would result in excommunication. Premarital sex is also frowned upon. In case of a premarital pregnancy, marrying quickly is necessary to remain part of the community, she explains.
The Amish wedding night will usually be spent in the bride's parent's home, as the couple will need to assist in clean up the following day. They will then spend their first months of marriage – their honeymoon – visiting relatives. (This is when most gifts they receive will be given.)
Back then, Amish men wore denim pants without any undergarments, which seems surprising since denim isn't typically the most comfortable fabric directly on skin. Fast forward to more recent visits when I helped with laundry at my siblings' homes, I discovered a change: the men now wear store-bought boxers!
Eating any food while on the toilet is forbidden. After defecating, the anus must be washed with water using the left hand, or an odd number of smooth stones or pebbles called jamrah or hijaarah (Sahih Al-Bukhari 161, Book 4, Hadith 27). Many jurists agree that toilet paper suffices in place of these stones.
There is a high degree of inbreeding, resulting in a high frequency of recessive disorders, many of which are seen rarely or are unknown outside of this population. Extensive genealogical records are available, and the average family size is large.
The Amish are permitted to travel by bus and train to shop, work at markets, and reach more distant destinations. Regular bus service between Amish communities has been established in some areas. The Amish are not permitted to travel by airplane as air travel is considered too modern.
Many enjoy puzzles and board games. These hot summer days provide ample opportunities for swimming in creeks and ponds. When those same ponds freeze over in four or five months, they provide a surface for ice skating that many young Amish people will enjoy.
So to repeat, the Amish do not have more than one wife, or husband. Polygamy is not permitted according to Amish beliefs. And “Amish Polygamists” have never existed in their history. It has always been one man and one woman – that's the only acceptable form of marriage in the Amish church.
It depends on the community. We are currently working with a Mennonite community and all the boys that have been born were circumcised. There is an Amish community downstate that doesn't circumcise. So it really depends on the community as to what they practice.
The Amish tradition of Rumspringa begins around age 16, offering young Amish men and women the chance to explore life beyond their community's boundaries. Rumspringa varies in length, allowing each individual to take the time they need to explore.
Replying to @Hipkins Chris the Amish community I came from wasn't allowed to wear thongs but now some of them wear store bought panties.
The Amish in the community I came from are not allowed to use condoms. After I left AMISH, one of my sister-in-law's pulled me aside and she was so upset and felt so guilty. She told me that they were using condoms and sinning. I told her at least they weren't getting pregnant every time.
Graber is most common, Wagler, Raber, Eicher, Yoder, Knepp, Kemp with a sprinkling of the ones you mentioned. Lancaster Stoltzfus, King, Fisher and Zook are the popular Amish names. Martin, Zimmerman, Burkholder and Weaver are the popular Mennonite names.
Health among the Amish is characterized by higher incidences of particular genetic disorders, especially among the Old Order Amish. These disorders include dwarfism, Angelman syndrome, and various metabolic disorders, such as Tay-Sachs disease, as well as an unusual distribution of blood types.
Amish women give birth at home in a more natural way with the assistance of their family and midwives. Amish women don't use pain meds, don't focus on due dates, and don't make public pregnancy announcements. Mothers rest while others handle chores, making recovery and bonding with their Amish babies easier.