The Amish settlement at Mechanicsville is one of only three Maryland Amish communities in existence. The oldest Maryland Amish settlement, at Oakland (Garrett County), was settled in 1850. Today it is a single church district in size. The Mechanicsville Amish community in southern Maryland was founded nearly a century later (1940) than the Oakland community. But today it is much larger, consisting of 8 districts,…
Are Amish “born again”? Are cars immoral? When describing church, why do Amish use the term “Gmay” instead of “Kirche”? And who actually decides the rules that guide Amish life? The Amish Way: Patient Faith in a Perilous World is the first book to explore Amish spirituality and religious practices in-depth, addressing these and many other questions along the way. Authors Donald Kraybill, Steven Nolt,…
Today marks the fourth anniversary of the Nickel Mines Amish school shootings. I’d like to share two items with you. The recently-released paperback version of Amish Grace features a Q-and-A with Charles Roberts’ mother Terri, whom Donald Kraybill interviewed earlier this year. In it, she discusses her feelings on learning of the shooting, the Amish community’s response, and how she has interacted with the families…
The Amish settlement near Munfordville and Horse Cave, Kentucky is the largest in the state, with 13 church districts as of 2010. Last week I had a chance to visit a number of Kentucky Amish communities, including the Munfordville settlement. The Amish here live among the hills of Hart County, which lies about halfway between Lexington and Nashville. Munfordville and Horse Cave are both small…
Amish are typically buried in simple pine boxes. Who makes them? In many communities, an Amishman will operate a business constructing the pine coffins. I recently spoke with a casket maker after a business talk I gave in Holmes County, Ohio. He asked me if I had met one of his kind while writing my book. Unfortunately I had not. Given the nature of his…
Today we continue with part 2 of our interview with SUNY-Potsdam Professor of Anthropology Karen Johnson-Weiner. Karen is the author of the recently-released book New York Amish: Life in the Plain Communities of the Empire State. New York has proven an especially attractive destination for Amish in recent years, and is now home to over 12,000 Amish. In today’s segment, Karen discusses how Amish migrants…
“New York” and “Amish” may seem an odd match. But the Empire State has seen its Amish population soar in recent years, and is currently home to the 5th-largest grouping of Amish in North America. SUNY-Potsdam Professor of Anthropology Karen Johnson-Weiner has spent years researching the various Amish communities in New York. Karen’s new book New York Amish: Life in the Plain Communities of the…
The short answer: yes, Amish people do eat fast food. McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and Wendy’s too (and not just those). McDonald’s Here are a couple of visual Amish fast food examples from Amish communities. First, this sign showing buggy parking at a McDonald’s in Sugarcreek, Ohio, a heavily-Amish area: I took that photo sometime in the mid-2000s. Like other businesses in Amish areas,…
Plain publications help Amish maintain ties and promote Old Order Christian values Amish produce a number of newspapers, books, and other publications. Following is ordering information for three Amish resources: Family Life-a general-interest magazine from Pathway Publishers in Ontario The Budget-Sugarcreek, Ohio newspaper which covers both local news, and produces a “national edition” with letters from Amish scribes Raber’s Bookstore-an Ohio Amish-owned bookstore that carries…
My Amish friend Aaron recently informed me of a curious entry into the Red Bull Flugtag contest. But first, Aaron had to explain what Flugtag actually is. Flugtag is a “flight” competition the Austrian energy drink* maker puts on each year. Teams ride homemade contraptions down a 30-foot high ramp, jumping and soaring into water below. “Flugtag” (pronounced “flewg tallg”) means “fly day” in German,…