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.
While it may be hard for us to walk past a mirror without checking how we look, it's very different for the Amish. Their culture is so detached from a focus on outer appearance that they don't view mirrors the same way we do.
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.
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.
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.
Old Colony Mennonites, as with the Old Order Amish, do not officially allow birth control practices.
That's not the case in a birth center used by a Wisconsin Amish community in La Farge. There, 95 percent of Amish women who had a c-section opted for nonsurgical births after that. In the general population only 8 percent of women do so.
Evidence indicates that many Amish marriages occur at a young age, often during their late teens and early twenties. Order” Sect in Central Illinois (Decatur, Ill.: published by author, 1971), 98-9.
One consequence of observing these and other core beliefs is that the Amish refrain from accepting Social Security and Medicare benefits, and in some cases from even obtaining a Social Security number, at least until later in life.
Personal hygiene routines may vary from family to family. However, most Old Order Amish men only bathe on Saturdays during winter, but many use sponge baths during the week. This is because there are no bathtubs in their homes, and bathing can take up a lot of time that could be spent on other essential tasks.
One form of dwarfism, Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, involves not only short stature but polydactyly (extra fingers or toes), abnormalities of the nails and teeth, and, in about half of individuals, a hole between the two upper chambers of the heart. The syndrome is common in the Amish because of the "founder effect."
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.
While traditional Amish groups have long favored alternative items for sanitation purposes, many communities, especially those less stringent about modernization, are beginning to embrace conventional toilet paper.
An old wives tale is that the Amish shutters and doors are painted blue meaning there is an eligible daughter to marry. In reality, it just means it's the only color paint they had available. Now it's become a tradition of sorts to use the color blue. This is the same with the brown top buggy.
While the Swartzentruber Amish use some technology, they do not own or drive automobiles, own telephones, have electric lights, or use modern flush toilets, and they supply water to their homes using a cistern.
Traditional Amish food includes dishes like tasty roasted chicken, creamy mashed potatoes & gravy, seasoned vegetables, fresh bread, and homemade jam. The Amish are also known for excellent baked goods, especially pies, cookies, breads, cakes, and fry pies.
Olson, The IRS's Position on the Application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to the Social Security Requirement Under Internal Revenue Code § 24(h)(7) Has the Effect of Denying Child Tax Credit Benefits to the Amish and Certain Other Religious Groups, NATIONAL TAXPAYER ADVOCATE BLOG (June 26, 2019), https:// ...
Some Amish drink alcohol in moderation, while others may abstain completely. Some Amish people drink alcohol for medicinal purposes, like homemade dandelion wine, while others may prohibit it altogether.
Because Christmas is so important to the Amish community, it is celebrated for two days. On December 25th, they meditate and read scripture at their home. December 26th, or “Second Christmas” they celebrate with family and friends with festive gatherings They have great feasts and exchange practical gifts.
Birth control and abortion are forbidden by religious doctrine, even when pregnancy is life threatening.
In some groups, the parent's will give their newlyweds their first bedroom suite, handmade by the family or by another craftsman in the community. The young couple will typically sleep in the parent's home the first night.
In Amish communities, divorce is not acceptable or authorized by the Amish church. When an Amish man seeks divorce, he must leave the Amish faith, resulting in him being excommunicated. On the other hand, the remaining spouse will not be allowed to remarry until the other one passes.
The Amish and Mennonite populations represent outstanding communities for the study of genetic disease for a number of reasons. 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.
The New Order Amish (most progressive) have a twinning rate of 20.1 twins per 1,000 births, whereas the Swartzentruber Amish have a rate of 34.5.