A grab-bag of thoughts and stories for the weekend. Enjoy! Rhymemaster B “Full of action, traction and a lot of satisfaction.” So replied Amishman “Rhymie Aaron” when asked how he was feeling. “Rhymie Aaron” was the nickname of Aaron Beiler, who lived most his life in Lancaster County before passing away in 1964. I recently came across an article about him dating to last year. Sounds…
The concept of “Amish community” has a number of meanings The term “Amish community” is often used to refer to the Amish in general. For instance, you might hear the questions, “What does the Amish community do when a barn burns down?” or “What does the Amish community believe about technology?” Sometimes the term is used appropriately, ie “My friend Lavern comes from the Nappanee Amish…
Sunday is the day Amish youth groups gather, and when dating couples traditionally meet. So I thought it would be a good day to share this. National Geographic is airing a new show called “Amish at the Altar”. They describe the show as: Three couples–two Amish and one ex-Amish–reveal courtship, engagement, and marriage among the Amish. Interviews with the couples, family members, and current and…
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 have a tradition of carving or displaying 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…
I was just digging through my things and came across the pen above, picked up while visiting Amish communities earlier this year. This pen commemorates the wedding of Steven and Lydia, married this past spring in Ohio. Keepsakes and souvenirs such as this memorialize Amish weddings in many communities. Remembrance items can range from pens with the couple’s name and date of marriage, to painted…
Last week, an excerpt from The Amish Way mentioned a gentleman named Abner, a deceased Amish historian whose trade was bookbinding. Abner was apparently quite a remarkable person who touched a lot of people in his community. Brad Igou (The Amish in Their Own Words) knew Abner well and has shared some remembrances which he recorded after Abner’s death in 2002: A good friend has…
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…
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…
At a talk I gave in Holmes County, at one point one of the Amish entrepreneurs on the 5-man panel expressed concerns over technology. Paraphrasing, he spoke of worries over “kids having the PSP and the Game Boy and half of the boys having cars”. Having been to a few Amish homes, I can say this is not far off in some communities, where both…