Fascinating facts about the Amish (Ohio)

Riley Brown (PastChronicles.com, 1/8/22); Kelly Ani, Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Amish? The Handmaid's Tale staged a stunt at The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

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Fascinating facts about the Amish few know

Books trend for 2018: Amish chic or Handmaid? (Los Angeles Times)

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Hit the ball, Offred! (The Handmaid's Tale?)

How well do we know the Amish beyond their traditional Pilgrim clothes, their old-fashioned ways, and their peaceful anti-modernity lifestyle?

As it turns out, there are a lot more details that few of us know about these fascinating people. Indeed, a few of the facts are quite shocking. Discover the incredible inner world that usually only the Amish get to see. [Thought Mormons, Adventists, and German Jews were odd? Ha!]

Let's develop a deeper understanding of our cloistered folk in rural America. The knowledge we gain may even improve the way we’re living our lives right now. If not, at least we'll smile.

• Number 1 isn’t the sex, drugs, and whatever experimenting of the Great "Hopping Around" called Rumspringa?

Amish Country, Ohio, only has two seasons, harsh winter and hot summer (pastchronicles.com)

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How do you know we're not Mennonites?

1. Rules are cool. The Amish are among a minority of people in the world who think rules and regulations are "cool." They even have a name for all the rules they have to follow – the Ordnung, a book that specifies the guidelines on how they are supposed to regulate their lives.

This book is what keeps them in line. The Ordnung dictates what's proper as the Amish way of living. The punishments and consequences of breaking the rules set out by their forefathers are written out in an easy-to-understand fashion to prevent any confusion.

• Where is "Amish Country" and who would want to live there? It’s in Ohio’s Podunk County, near Pennsylvania

I'm married. See all my personal growth?

2. Facial hair growth literally means personal growth. For the Amish, facial hair is a sign of a change in one’s marital status.

Young males are not expected to have beards. The Ordnung spells this out as one of the rules of the culture. A beard on an older person can only mean one thing.

When an Amish man gets married, he vows on his wedding day to not only stay devoted to his wife but to maintain a beard all his life. This is the reason why young Amish guys have not beards, but men who are married are required to grow one. Mustaches, however, are not allowed for anyone.

Our ways are our ways as in Germany.

3. Amish have their own language. English is the main means of communication, what they speak to converse with people outside of the community. Amish are taught English from a very early age. However, they also have their own language.

Most speak it in the comfort of home. A lot of Amish communities located in North America speak a language known as "Pennsylvania Dutch" or Low German. This way of communicating is unique to the Amish. Some consider it an outdated language, but it is very much alive on Amish tongues.

Hot or not? Definitely hot, right, Amish Sister? - Gafinderflick, Sis.

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Oh, Margaret Atwood! (The Nerdy Book Fairy)

4. The Amish have a dress code. The Amish not only follow a guidebook on how to live, they adhere to the cultural tenets of their dress code. Compared to society at larger where Americans go through constant devolutions of fashion, the Amish wear the kind of clothes their ancestors wore centuries ago.

Though it may seem old-fashioned, this rule is mostly about adhering to a simple way of life that values what's on the inside and less on what appears outside.

What exists on inside? That's what the Amish value. Their style mostly showcases their humility. For females, a basic muted bonnet and a high cut dress are more than enough.  More