Just back from a 10-day visit to Lancaster County. Gave a couple of talks and enjoyed the unfolding of the spring season. A few highlights from the trip: Amish business visits I dropped in for a day at the Markets at Shrewsbury, one of the Pennsylvania Dutch markets in the region. It happened to be Kite Day–Shrewsbury puts on a number of fun family events…
Last night while lounging around with Abe and Sara, we suddenly heard one of their little boys begin coughing and crying, clearly audible through the air vent in the ceiling. Abe knew instantly what was wrong by the sound. “That’s the croup,” he decided, a bit glumly, and stood with his wife to go attend to the children. It was past ten o’clock already and…
Judging by my email inbox and the lack of traffic on the roads, today, Easter Monday, is a day off for a number of us. Amish Religious Holidays What holidays do Amish observe? And how does that affect the work schedule? In Amish Enterprise, Donald Kraybill and Steven Nolt write that in Lancaster County, “Church members faithfully recognize Good Friday, Easter, Ascension Day, And Christmas. …
Last Sunday I attended an Amish youth singing in Lancaster County. What follows is a short account. Youth practices may vary from community to community. Not all Amish youth follow the pattern described below. In some communities, such as Holmes County, Ohio, not all youth are members of so-called “singing groups” (those who aren’t are more likely to be among the wilder youth). Amish youth…
Rick shares a pair of photos from a Dover, Delaware Amish auction. This first shot gives you an idea of what legroom is like in the back of a buggy. Anyone ridden in something like this before? Not too roomy. Rick also notes that the Dover buggies have a whip holder at the front, creating an unusual “antenna” look, which you’ll notice in the picture…
It’s nearly 15 years old, but this New York Times article (http://www.cora.org/amish-skate-art.html) remains an interesting look at a “modern” form of transportation used by Amish (and which some may find surprising). In-line skates, aka “rollerblades”, are popular in the Lancaster County settlement. Amish historian Sam Stoltzfus estimates that (at the time of writing) they may be “tacitly” accepted in one third of settlements. In the article,…
Amish and Mennonites have been putting on annual auctions for the benefit of people in Haiti for many years now. They take place in various locations across the nation, including communities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Florida, and Illinois. Furniture, quilts and other items are auctioned off at these large events. The Florida auction, held in Sarasota, is in fact taking place this weekend. The photos…
A week back I wrote about how Amish celebrate Christmas, with a mention of the holiday program that takes place in many Amish schools. Rick shares a photo from a recent visit to the New Wilmington, PA Amish community, taken during the Christmas Eve program at a local one-room school.
A bit of good news lost in the mix over the holidays, and maybe appropriate to share here on New Year's Day. About a week ago I received word that my friend Abe, whom I've mentioned in the past on the blog, has just become a father for the third time, this one a boy like the previous two. Abe, who is a produce grower…
Not “Amish”, but quite entertaining nonetheless. Kevin Roberts, “Friend” to some and “Quaker” to others, writes a nice blog at quakerthink. In his latest post, Kevin surveys the transportation options available to him on his isolated Ohio homestead, and had me chuckling as he described Dude, the twenty-five dollar donkey that may be worth even less, and the one-holer convenience outhouse that comes in handy…