DoYouRemember?

When it comes to the religious minority group, Amish, there is a need for debunking a few myths, while highlighting some unknown facts. The Amish culture is charming and known across the globe for upholding the traditional values. They may have shunned modernity, but they still continue to amaze the world with their lifestyle and traditions. Here are some facts you may have never heard about the Amish before. 1. Etymology Amish comes from the name of the man who first initiated the religion. His name was Jakob Ammann, a Swiss Anabaptist (those who oppose baptism.) He went for a literal interpretation of the Bible, as opposed to the interpretation of the Mennonite church. This caused a divide in the church and those who followed Ammann's ways were known as Amish. Pixabay 2. The Amish Dolls These have now become souvenirs in their own right. The Amish rag dolls are clothed in Amish attire and are always faceless. The reason for this is twofold - one, it sets up no standard for beauty and thus, vanity. Second, they believe only God has the power to create faces. Wikipedia 3. Non-violence Adhering to the traditional values and keeping up the religious fervor, the Amish people never indulge in any form of violence. For this reason, they do not enter military. Flickr 4. Baptism and marriage Unlike anywhere else, the Amish baptism happens only when a person turns 18 and fully recognizes his/her faith. They only marry after that, and that too with a member of their sect. Wikipedia 5. Amish Women's role The Amish women are generally confined to the typical female roles of homemaking. The man is the leader of the family and the woman follows him. Flickr 6. Banning Music Since music requires skills and talent, the Amish people don't encourage it in their religion as it would naturally lead to feelings of competition and an air of superiority. Wikipedia 7. Rumspringa There is a time in every Amish's life when they could do things otherwise forbidden in their culture. When a child turns 16, he can experience the outside world. While some use the limited time of Rumspringa to get an experience of a lifetime, some just abuse it. Wikipedia 8. No Motorized Vehicle Amish community is structured around a dependency between its members. Since a car makes one independent, it is forbidden. Wikimedia 9. Bearded Men A way to tell whether an Amish man is married or a bachelor, is by spotting his beard. Only after his marriage, does an Amish man grow a beard. Wikipedia 10. Women's Wedding Dress An Amish woman sews her own blue wedding dress. But it does not gather dust in a closet after the wedding. She wears it for the Sunday Church services. Wikimedia 11. Amish education Amish education happens both, in classroom and on the field. Their formal education ends at 8th grade. The boys then pick a trade and the girls become homemakers. Flickr 12. Medicine Because they are opposed to everything modern, it comes as a surprise that they do indeed use modern medicines in some circumstances. Because of lack of insurance, the community gathers funds to pay for the sick. National Geographic 13. Being an Amish For the one who wishes to convert to the Amish faith has to go through a tough conversion process. The person must leave behind any known luxury from their previous faith. They must also learn to speak German or the German dialect the Pennsylvania Amish speak. They must first reside with an Amish family to learn the cultural and societal ways. Once that period is over, a vote is taken in the church to finally decide whether the convert should be admitted. Flickr Credits: list25