Do Amish celebrate Halloween?
While Amish do grow a lot of the pumpkins that become the Jack-o-Lanterns adorning homes across the nation today, the Amish themselves do not carve or display their own.
The most you might see are some uncarved pumpkins and gourds festively arranged at some homes (though I suppose that could just as easily fall under the category of “autumn decorations”).
Amish Halloween? No, just a Kentucky produce auction
In the new Concise Encyclopedia of Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites (more on that to come), Donald Kraybill tells us that “TRADITIONAL GROUPS [ie, Amish], in keeping with their separatist stance, are more likely to ignore holidays such as Halloween in the United States or its equivalent in other countries, and holidays that emphasize nationalistic military themes” (Concise Encyclopedia, p 107).
However, I must add that I was surprised once when an Indiana Amishman told me that yes, in fact his family did regularly celebrate on Halloween.
Well, just what did they do? Birthday cake and candles, for October 31st is his daughter’s birthday, he explained with a grin.
Want more? Try this AOE entry on Amish Holidays.
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10 responses to The Amish and Halloween
I like that Amish Man’s way of celebrating Halloween.
If a lot of them don’t want dolls with faces, I’m sure they wouldn’t put a face on a pumpkin! LOL I’m Catholic so it’s a day before a Holy Day for us (All Hallows Eve, before All Saints Day) but we still get candy, just no dark, spooky stuff. Now if I can just convince everyone else to not scare me I’ll have it made!
I totally understand when people want to avoid it altogether though. I just don’t like when people say it’s because they’re “Christian”. I’m a Christian and we get candy, but we definitely don’t celebrate the “dark side”. I say let’s skip it and bring on the turkey – I’m ready for Thanksgiving!!
The Amish and Halloween
Wow, is that ever typical Amish humor… hehehe.
Saloma
I think for me it has been partly because I’m Mennonite that my family doesn’t celebrate Halloween, but it is also because it is my brother’s birthday! I totally get his joke.
Celebrating a birthday sounds like more fun than anything, especially since there is cake! LOL!
Ha, ha! That’s a good one, Indiana Amishman!
I am happy to report that for Halloween I decided to dress up Amish.
We were visiting Strasburg, PA three years ago and during that time, the annual town Halloween parade took place. We did see a young Amish family walk into town, pulling their children in a wagon to observe the parade. However, it was not ON Halloween but a couple of weeks prior.
Cake and candles, great combination. Amish apple pie would suffice for me.
Guys I just realized I missed a good question on this post–what kind of luck do English kids have trick-or-treating at Amish homes?
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