The second coming of Breaking Amish–“Breaking Amish: Brave New World” arrived last night. This season (or “spin-off” as the TLC network has been calling it) has taken the cast and placed them in the Pinecraft neighborhood of Sarasota, Florida. I wasn’t surprised when I heard of the choice, for a couple of reasons: Filming in Pinecraft they can remain in an urban environment, in line with…
A reader in Indiana shares: The fences around here are used as a “lost and found.” I have seen halters, lead ropes, buggy wheel rubbers and the most common item — horseshoes hanging from the fences lines in the Elkhart – LaGrange community. Perishable items like clothes, expensive items like batteries, or small items like bike lights are usually picked up and then listed in…
This year (2026) Ascension Day – commemorating Jesus’ physical ascension into heaven – is Thursday, May 14th. The date changes each year, falling on the 40th day following Easter Sunday. Interestingly, Ascension Day is observed by Amish in some places – but not in others. Ascension Day: Observance in Different Amish Communities The Amish in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania are among those who do observe Ascension…
Certain Amish surnames occur with great frequency. Here are ten of the most common: 1. Miller The most common of all Amish last names. Joseph Stoll writes: “The German spelling was Müller, and because there were many Millers in Europe, the name was very common, with no common ancestor for many people of this name. There were a number of Anabaptists of this name in…
William Woys Weaver is a food historian who has written extensively on Pennsylvania Dutch food and culture. He’s written a new book called As American As Shoofly Pie: The Foodlore and Fakelore of Pennsylvania Dutch Cuisine. From an NPR article on the subject: News flash: Whoopie pies are not indigenous Pennsylvania Dutch food, no matter what the tourist traps say. Nor are the seafood bisque, chili, roast…
While in Belle Center, Ohio a few months back, I had dinner with Mark Curtis and a young couple in his community. One of my favorite moments came after Mark said something in Pennsylvania German which seemed to baffle the three other “native Amish” at the table. The man of the house, grappling with the fact that no one could put a finger on the…
You might remember a previous post on July 4th buggy races in the Elkhart-Lagrange Amish settlement. As one reader shares Topeka is not the only spot in northern Indiana holding an annual buggy race: Shipshewana has a celebration called Mayfest each year. Mayfest includes several different events one of which is a buggy race. The buggy race involves teams of 4 individuals. Two team members ride…
Usually right around this time each year, I notice at uptick in visits to the Amish State Guide. I attribute it to people looking for info on Amish communities with the coming of spring and summer. Are you visiting an Amish community this year? Or have you already? Here’s a list of Amish settlements I plan to, or already have visited, in 2013 (plus a…
An Amish fur buyer in northern Indiana. No photos of the furs, so you’ll just have to use your imagination. I had “fur buyer” on one of the lists of odd Amish jobs, focusing on Holmes County, Ohio. Here is a reader comment about another in a Minnesota Amish community “where they process all types of fur and also salt deer hides”.
A new Amish settlement is started, on average, every few weeks. Today there are around 700 Amish communities in North America. Most were founded over the past 20-some years. Amish migration has gotten much attention recently. New settlements appearing in places like Colorado, Maine, and New York attest to a pioneer spirit which has not waned since Amish first settled the Americas in the…