33 Facts About The Amish Everyone Should Know

Boys will pick a trade to go into, and girls are all pre-destined to be housewives. Because of this, they see no need for an education past the 8th grade level.

Amish weddings are typically held at the end of fall, and are devoid of anything that they deem too extravagant. Instead of flowers, they commonly use celery, and the bride may not even wear a ring as it represents vanity.

They wear the same plain clothes that tradition has dictated for many years. Amish are not allowed to wear bright colors or jewelry— not even to weddings!

There are roughly 250,000 Amish living in America right now, descended from just 200 founders in the 18th century. They have a higher-than-average rate of genetic disorders, then, because of inbreeding. They have a high infant mortality rate, as well, but they simply view these things as God’s Will, or “Gottes Wille”. Before marrying, the Amish refuse to take any genetic tests to determine if they are somehow, even distantly, related, and thus when they have children, it is a toss-up if they will be born with deformities or a genetic disorder. Seems to me that a simple blood test could help avoid a whole lot of heartache, for both them and their future children. But then, that would require a heart, and after learning about puppy mills, pollution, shunning, and everything else (and there is more to come), I am unsure if heartache is in the realm of possibility for them.

The Amish not only produce their own food— free of pesticides and processing, but they also refrain from drinking and smoking. This healthy lifestyle means lower cancer rates for their communities.