However, the Amish do not throw baby showers and do not expect large amounts of new baby gifts with each new child. This is because the Amish do not like to focus on a single event or individual, so to shower someone with baby gifts would be considered too extravagant or unnecessary to the typical Amish person.
In the Amish community, things like pregnancy are very sacred and secret. People's privacy is important, and intimate details are often not shared with other members of the community until it is more than obvious.
After giving birth, Amish mothers breastfeed their babies for as long as possible. It's believed that this helps strengthen the bond between mother and child, which is important in this close-knit culture. It also gives them the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy.
The Amish have various hygiene practices, just like regular Americans. They take showers, although the frequency may vary among different Amish orders. Conservative Amish don't use deodorant, talc, or lotion. They simply wash, dry, and put on clean clothing.
Amish Birth Culture
Members of this faith-based community typically practice home births, which are performed without modern medical interventions such as epidurals or pain relief medications.
So while they aren't opposed to gifts, don't give lavish gifts to Amish children 'from Santa'. Board games, books, stationery sets, art supplies, or even scented candles are simple yet fantastic gifts for your Amish friends and their families. And sweets, chocolates, and other snacks are fine, too.
Birth control and abortion are forbidden by religious doctrine, even when pregnancy is life threatening. The Amish church has no rule against immunization, but only 16-26% of Amish children have received immunizations against the common childhood diseases.
In short, Amish women don't shave because they aren't allowed to cut their hair. Similarly, married men don't shave their beards, but do shave their cheeks and trim to keep their beards tidy. Along with maintaining their lush hair, the Amish believe that everything they do should be of high quality.
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/ ...
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.
Most Amish couples get married between the ages of 18 and 22. This is because the Amish believe that it's important for couples to start their families young, and it furthers the community to bear many children.
But they don't pick up their children to hug and kiss them. There are no rules against such demonstrations of love… it is just not done. Another interesting fact about affections, is that the Amish don't have a way of saying “I love you” in their language.
As such, many Amish people—even youths—wear dentures. Rebecca from the TLC reality show Breaking Amish is perhaps the most famous case of this. On the show, Rebecca explained how she had all of her teeth removed at the age of 19 and currently wears dentures. Rebecca from "Breaking Amish" showing off her dentures.
Amish women are expected to cook, clean, and care for the children. They also often help with farm work. While some Amish women do work outside the home, it is usually in a job that is related to the home, such as being a midwife or a teacher. The Amish believe it's important for women to be involved in the community.
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.
Gender discourse is directed around biblical verses such as 1 Corinthians 11:3 (KJV): “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” The Amish see their gender regime as religiously justified.
The Amish practice a form of bedroom ritual called "bundling." In bundling, a young man and woman spend time together in the same room, usually fully clothed and often with a board or blanket between them. This allows them to get to know each other without the distraction of physical contact.
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.
In addition, members of the Amish community are allowed to remarry after their spouse passes. Widows sometimes garner financial assistance from their families or the church and may even find work outside of the home, according to Amish America.
Concerning deodorant, yes, the Amish DO wear deodorant. If they don't, it's their personal choice.
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.
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.
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.
Do the Amish celebrate Christmas? Yes, they do, although their customs are much simpler than our “English” customs. They are oriented toward the family and the religious meaning of the holiday.
Most Amish families have an average of 7 kids, and most children are given chores starting at the age of 4 or 5.