Posts Tagged: Fun Amish Facts

What Makes Amish Small Businesses so Successful?

Facts about the Amish

Last week, I posted about the different types of heating stoves the Amish use to keep their homes warm through the winter. In The Winnowing Season, Rhoda is excited to rebuild her canning business in the new Amish settlement in Maine. After researching how the Amish start and run a business compared to how we as non-Amish start and run a small business, I’ve seen a pattern that at times gives them the upper hand in becoming a success and hanging on to it. At other times those Amish ways work against them—at least for a season.

Amish Home Fires and a Giveaway

Facts about the Amish

While visiting an Amish friend one winter, I woke to the gentle creaking of old wooden steps, and I knew my dear friend was on her way to the cellar to add wood to the stove. Her husband was on a three-day hunt, and while he’s gone she’s diligent about maintaining the wood stove so her family stays warm throughout the night and no one shivers when crawling out of bed in the morning.

How Do the Amish Find a Spouse?

Facts about the Amish

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought a post about how the Amish find a spouse would be a nice topic. Amish typically get married around twenty to twenty-two years of age, but how did they find romance inside their conservative culture? For generations the parents have had traditions in place to help the next generation find their mate.

How Do the Amish Celebrate the New Year?

Facts about the Amish

Now that our many holiday traditions and celebrations are behind us for a while, I thought I’d share a few things with you about how the Amish bring in the New Year. Last week, I shared a bit about the foods that cultures such as the South, the Mediterranean, and the Spanish eat on New Year’s Day. The Pennsylvania Dutch have a unique New Year’s tradition, as well. They enjoy a meal of pork and sauerkraut each New Year’s Day.

Do the Amish Celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas?

Facts about the Amish

Thanksgiving and Christmas is a special time for Christians and is usually anticipated with great excitement. Since we know how most Christians celebrate these holidays, I thought I’d share what some of my Old Order Amish friends have told me about their traditions. Thanksgiving is a simple time and primarily an excuse for families to… Read more »

What Does an Amish Bride Wear on Her Wedding Day?

Facts about the Amish

I’ve received some great questions, and today I want to address a couple of them. I will discuss what an Amish bride wears on her wedding day and what language the Amish speak. I am also offering an exciting giveaway of an advanced reader copy of my newest book, A Season for Tending (the first book in my new series)!

Why the Amish and the Mennonites Moved to America ~

Facts about the Amish

Today, I will continue the story of the Amish beginnings by explaining why they immigrated to America. As we’ve discussed in previous blog posts, the Mennonites came from the Anabaptist movement in Switzerland. The Amish then split off from the Mennonites over concerns on how strict the rules for living and discipline should be. Jakob Ammann led the split to a more conservative lifestyle, and in so doing, began the Amish.

Why the Amish Dress the Way They Do ~

Facts about the Amish

Today I’m going to talk a bit about what the Amish wear and why they choose to dress the way they do. The topic of Amish clothing can be a complicated one. As we’ve discussed before, Plain Amish and Mennonites come from many different sects. Each group has its own patterns and however slight those differences may appear to us, I’ve witnessed time and again how those slight changes in style or fabric are very distinguishing to them. But the similarities can make it difficult to generalize on this topic, so bear in mind that what’s true of the clothing for one group may not be true of another.