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,…
I’ve been looking forward to this new addition to Amish America for a long time. Various questions seem to recur on Amish topics. I thought it might be nice to put together a resource to try to answer some of those questions. The Amish Online Encyclopedia (AOE) covers a variety of subjects including Amish culture, beliefs, the different Amish affiliations, occupations, education, transportation, and so…
Indiana is the only state that requires license plates on Amish buggies, though it varies by county. From a lecture on the Amish by Goshen College professor Steven Nolt; photo by Cindy Seigle. Read more on Indiana Amish.
Update: I wrote the following after my first visit to the South’s largest Amish community way back in 2010. I didn’t know a lot about it, other than it was a very traditional community. I was pleasantly surprised by how friendly the Amish at Ethridge were. I hope you enjoy my impressions from the Ethridge Amish community. If you end up visiting maybe you’ll experience…
I recently read a book I’d been looking forward to for a long time. An Amish Paradox: Diversity and Change in the World’s Largest Amish Community is an in-depth look at the Amish settlement at Holmes County, Ohio, and one of the most interesting books on the Amish I have read. In Ohio last month I had the pleasure of meeting the book’s authors, Charles…