Amish: Livsstil og traditioner

Minority: The Amish life is much more unsophisticated and simple than an ordinary American citizen’s overscheduled life style. They’ve managed to create and idyllic life in the fields of Pennsylvania without the goods from the modern world. They also hold a large variety of ancient well-organized celebrations and ceremonies.

Source: www.bergoiata.org

By An essential element in the Amish lifestyle is the holidays, celebrations and ceremonies. The adults in the Amish society is firmly making sure that the children enter the holiday seasons with an understanding of the true meaning that lies beyond. The children decorate their classrooms according to the seasons. During the Christmas and thanksgiving times, the children help decorating with pumpkins and dried leaves. On thanksgiving morning, all Amish families unite each by each, and every family member shares something which he or she is grateful for. In the evening they join together for a traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner. The food typically consists of stuffed turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, hot vegetables, and freshly baked bread – as in a regular American thanksgiving. “The thanksgiving time, is surely the most enjoyable time for the children” says Aaron from the local school.The Amish have several other traditions all year round, one of them is very special to them. When Amish children turn 16, the rules change. They're encouraged to experiment and explore. The idea is that teens will come back to the church after tasting the modern world every week, this is called the Rumspringa. Every sunday all Amish from here and there gather to have worship in a private Amish home. The houses are designed to accommodate quite a lot of people. The preaching lasts for 3 hours, and is followed by a shared meal. Hymns are led by a single voice that sings the first bar of each line alone, and is then joined by the others.Finding a partner and starting a family is the most important decision an Amish person must make in order to keep the Amish community strong. It is therefore also very vital that all Amish start their marriage with a high-quality wedding. All children in the Amish community are expected to find a wife and live by her side for the rest of their living time. Once an Amish couple have been together for a while and planned to get engaged, there is no party’s or celebration. Everything is kept secret until a month before the wedding takes place. Amish brides typically make their wedding dresses out of blue fabric. The Amish groom wears black suits and black brimmed hats. The wedding is simple, without flowers, rings, or veils. “We like to keep everything very ceremonial, and we try not to get overjoyed” says the Amish farmer Yacob. The Amish community is in itself, the true definition of simplicity.