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Journey into the past: what you can see and learn by visiting the Amish community

'17.10.2022'

Nadezhda Verbitskaya

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When planning your summer travels, consider Lancaster County (Philadelphia). After all, the largest Amish community in America lives there. Arriving in Amish Country will allow you to go back in time to enjoy the slow and peaceful pace of life. There, horses and buggies have been the main modes of transportation for 300 years, and windmills provide residents with energy derived from nature. Discover Lancaster.

The region is full of Amish-themed attractions and events. Shop for handmade crafts, sample authentic local cuisine, and experience Amish culture.

Amish history in Pennsylvania

The history of the Amish community in Pennsylvania dates back to the XNUMXth century Reformation in Europe. Then the Anabaptist movement stimulated the creation of three communities: Amish, Mennonites and Brethren. While these spiritual groups share similarities, the Amish are the most conservative. Their values are humility, family, community, and separation from the non-Amish world, which includes a reluctance to use modern conveniences such as electricity, cell phones, and the like.

So where did the Pennsylvanian Amish come from? Members of this conservative Christian community came to Pennsylvania in the early XNUMXth century to avoid persecution in Europe for their Anabaptist beliefs.

The Anabaptists believed that only adults who professed their faith should be baptized. And that they must remain separated from society at large. Many early Anabaptists were executed as heretics by both Catholics and Protestants. And many others fled to the mountains of Switzerland and southern Germany. There, the Amish tradition was born to farm and hold worship services in homes rather than churches.

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In 1536, a young Dutch Catholic priest named Menno Simons joined the Anabaptist movement. His writings and leadership united many groups of Anabaptists who were called Mennonites. In 1693, the Swiss Bishop Jacob Amman broke away from the Mennonite Church. His followers were called the Amish. Although the two groups have split several times, the Amish and Mennonite churches still share the same beliefs regarding baptism and basic biblical doctrines. The first group of Amish arrived in Lancaster County in the 1720s and 1730s.

The Pennsylvania Amish community in Lancaster County has about 30 members. The population has more than doubled in the last 000 years.

There are actually three families or groups associated with the Anabaptists in Lancaster County: the Amish, the Mennonites, and the Brethren. All three groups share the Anabaptist faith, which calls for a conscious choice to accept God. Accordingly, only adults are baptized. These three groups share the same core values regarding the all-encompassing authority of the Bible, the philosophy of brotherhood and non-resistance, and the importance of family and community.

Groups differ primarily in matters of clothing, language, forms of worship. And also in how they allow modern technology and the forces of the outside world to influence their lives. Most Brethren and Mennonites dress the same as their English neighbors. Other Mennonites, Brethren, and Amish Mennonites wear characteristic Amish clothing but may enjoy mundane amenities such as cars, electricity, telephones.

Amish clothing style

The characteristic style of Amish dress is an obvious outward manifestation of their faith, purity and social isolation from the world. She demonstrates group loyalty and identity, as well as a willingness to conform to group standards.

Pennsylvania Amish men wear dark suits, straight-cut coats with no lapels, slacks, suspenders, plain shirts, black socks, and boots. As well as black or straw wide-brimmed hats. The shirts are fastened with regular buttons. Men do not wear mustaches and usually wait until beards grow after marriage.

Women wear modest plain dresses. Usually with long sleeves and full skirt, cape and apron. Clothes are fastened with straight pins or buttons. Hair is never cut and collected in a bun at the back of the head, hidden by a prayer veil. Single women in their twenties and twenties wear black prayer veils for church services. A white veil in most cases is worn by women of all ages. Pennsylvania Amish women are not allowed to wear jewelry or printed fabrics.

Electricity use

The Amish taboo on electricity became one of the public symbols of their separation from the world. Since public electrical and engineering lines provided a literal and mysterious connection to the outside world, the use of the energy generated from them is prohibited. But 12-volt autonomous batteries are not connected to the outside world, so they can be used.

They use bottled gas to operate basic household appliances such as refrigerators, stoves and water heaters. Home freezers have been banned due to concerns that they will damage other electrical appliances. The Amish use gas lanterns to light houses and shops, which are mounted on walls or hung from the ceiling.

Use of photography

The Amish highly value humility and view pride as a threat to social harmony. Since personal photos can emphasize individuality and attract attention, they are prohibited. The Amish believe that photographs in which they can be recognized violate the biblical commandment: "Do not make yourself an idol." They want to be remembered by the lives they have lived, not by their looks.

Also, the Amish do not want to be photographed by others. Many visitors to Lancaster County find it hard not to. However, if there is one thing that frustrates the Amish, it is tourists trying to take pictures of them. Please follow our lead and don't take photos that could reveal faces. Not being photographed is more than just a courtesy. This is respect for the Amish and their way of life.

How to Have Fun When Visiting Amish Country in Pennsylvania

SCOOTER TOURS

Explore back roads and Amish farmlands on one of Lancaster's most popular tours.

Get on your scooter or your scoot coupe and get ready to ride through some of Lancaster's most beautiful countryside. You'll drive past Amish riding horses and buggies, see beautiful hilly farmland, Amish farms, and more.

PREMIUM TOUR

Get a complete understanding of Amish culture and history with this premium tour. This tour is best for visitors who want to learn everything they can about the Amish.

The tour includes:

25-minute tour of the Amish farmhouse
90 minute storytelling bus tour
Self-guided tour of the territory, school building and outbuildings

Visitors typically use the picnic areas to grab a bite to eat between visits to the windmill, waterwheel, and Amish and Animal Barn, Market, Smithy, and Amish Village Store.