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Friday, September 07, 2012

Amish

A friend asked me this week if I had any pictures of Amish that her friend could use for a missions project she was working on. Her request prompted me to go back through my photos to see what I could find for her. It occurred to me that the pictures I found for her might be of interest to some of you, as well.

A little background information might be helpful for those of you who may not be familiar with the Amish (pronounced Ah-mish). Most Amish live on farms, although many work in a trade, such as carpentry. Some even own successful businesses such as furniture or cabinet making. One family near us owns a shoe store, specializing in work boots for factory workers, as well as traditional Amish footwear. Another family has a machine shop, making and selling products to customers all over the world.

The Amish shun the use of most modern conveniences. As a rule, they do not own automobiles or farm tractors but use horses for travel and farming. They don't have in-home telephones, although most in our community now have cell phones. They don't use electricity in their homes, although some, like those that need electricity to operate their businesses or for powering milking machines for dairy farms, do generate their own electricity for those purposes with generators. Many are installing wind turbines, too.

This is a typical Amish farm.

Here is a little closer look at the laundry hung neatly on the clothesline to dry.


The rules for Amish are dictated by each congregation's Bishop and can vary from community to community. Those in our county do not use enclosed buggies. They ride in open buggies in every kind of weather. However, in recent years, they've been permitted to install enclosed boxes on the backs of the buggies where small children can ride in inclement weather. Often, during heavy rain or snow, the adults will carry large black umbrellas, with a small patch of clear plastic through which the driver can see where he's going.


The next three pictures were snapped as people gathered for a parade in our small town. The state highway, down which the parade would travel, had not yet been closed to traffic, so cars and buggies were continuing to travel it until the start of the parade.

A beard on an Amish man is an indication that he is married.


An Amish family joining those waiting for the start of the parade.

We see many unusual conveyances in addition to the traditional buggies and farm wagons.

I don't know what this is, but it was unusual enough to make me run for my camera.

These are hay wagons, on their way to a hayfield somewhere to pick up some freshly baled hay. Notice the women, extra chairs, and large drink dispenser on the first wagon. It looks as if the work day was going to include a little fun.

This woman was transporting a couple of large barrels in the back of her buggy. (The photo was taken from the cemetery where I was walking when she passed by. Those are tombstones in the foreground.)


9 comments:

  1. How interesting... I am fascinated with the Amish.. They are such neat, clean, law-abiding people. I think WE could learn from them...

    We don't have many Amish around here. WE do have Mennonites though --but they are not nearly as strict in their beliefs as the Amish.

    I didn't know that about the beards...

    Thanks for sharing. I assume there are alot of Amish near you..
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  2. Thanks for providing a window into a unique world.

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  3. i do appreciate that they preserve their culture, even if adding a few modern conveniences along the way.

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  4. Fascinating. I live in an area where different sects of Mennonites live. Many,like myself live and dress no different than others around us,but some stick out like a sore thumb.It is interesting to see how the Amish live,but I would not want all those restrictions.

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  5. Thank you for educating us on the Amish. Some of it I knew, but a lot I didn't. I'll bet your friend is very glad to have these photos for her project. Their lifestyle is so fascinating and these pictures really tell the story. Although I was surprised to see how modern looking that house looked that had the clothes hanging on the line.

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  6. Thanks again Linda for sharing your fantastic photos! I know my friend's mission project will be even greater thanks to you!!!

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  7. Linda, so many interesting details and the photos speak without words. I'm impressed by the fact that in all your photos of the Amish everything looks so neat and in good condition.

    You know what's admirable? As I can see from your photos, the Amish don't live entirely separately but participate in everyday's life of the town, it means they are not afraid of being seduced by its temptations, right? Have you ever spoken with any of them? Do they freely communicate with people who aren't members of the Amish community?

    The hay wagon with the chairs looks funny but I see, no bus needed... :)

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  8. Hi, I saw your name on Ruth.s blog. What an interesting post about the Amish. And your photo's are beautiful and clear. I am going to follow you.
    Riet.

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  9. Great pics, Linda. We have a few Mennonite communities not too far from here. I love the image of the buggy taken from behind.

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