April 26, 2008 found Sister and Elder Smith in Lancaster County Pennsylvania (about 50 miles south east of Harrisburg) where we went to visit with the Russler’s, whose daughter lives in our Ward in Utah. They were wonderful and took us on a tour of the Amish country in western Lancaster County. We drove to the Town of Intercourse (see picture) where we stopped for a short time to look at the shopping stores. Some of the food they make right in the store and have tasting areas where you can try the product. We tried a number of jams and salsa’s. They were all very good but very expensive. For a half pint it was $5.00 and $10 for a pint. We went from there to their farms where we were able to take some pictures of them plowing the fields as well as their buggies and bicycles and other modes of transportation. We went to a farm where they have a store with a lot of tourist treasures including quilts, cook books, jams, etc. The Quilts cost between $500 to $1000. We saw a young family working in the yard and took a picture of them from afar. The silo’s are made of concrete slabs about 2 feet wide and 100 feet long and are banded together with round steel rods to form silos that are about 100 feet high and about 15 feet in diameter. Their barns are two stories where the animals live in the bottom and they store feed above. (See pictures.) I have found some information about the Amish and have included if below. The Amish are very hard working and are very wise with finances and methods of making money. They tap the tourists for all they can get from them and are becoming very wealthy. Their farms are very large and you can see them for miles. I would guess that the average farm would be more than 200 acres all cultivated and harvested with horse powered implements.
The Amish People & Their Lifestylein Lancaster County, PA
The farmlands of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country are among the most productive in the nation. But many of the farmers here are different from most Americans; different by choice. For these are the Old Order Amish and Mennonites, also known as the "Plain People". Our Amish neighbors have been employing horse-drawn power since the days when horsepower had a whole different meaning! In comparison to our fast-paced society, the simpler, family-centered Amish way of life holds a special fascination.These people trace their heritage back hundreds of years, and yet, despite all the time that has passed and the many changes that have taken place in society, they still live and work much as their forefathers did. Their families and their farms are their top priorities, second only to God.
The Amish are very devout in their faith. They believe in the literal interpretation and application of Scripture as the Word of God. They take seriously the Biblical commands to separate themselves from the things of the world. They believe worldliness can keep them from being close to God, and can introduce influences that could be destructive to their communities and to their way of life.Today there are over 25 different Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren church groups in Lancaster County, all holding to slightly different traditions and their own interpretations of the Bible.
The more traditional groups are called 'old order'. They do not permit electricity or telephones in their homes. By restricting access to television, radio, and telephones, the Amish are better able to keep the modern world from intruding into their home life.The Amish have long preferred farming as a way of life. They feel their lifestyle and their families can best be maintained in a rural environment. While they do not permit the use of tractors in their fields, these old order Amish groups do use modern farm equipment pulled by teams of horses or mules.These old order groups do not own or operate automobiles, believing that cars would provide easier access to the ways of the world. You will often see their horses and buggies on our local roads.
These traditional groups wear plain clothing styles, which has earned them the name "Plain People". It is the simple, peaceful lifestyle of these plain people that attracts such a curiosity today. Many wonder how these people can survive in their supposedly backward ways. Well, they're not only surviving - they're thriving. Since 1960, the Amish population in Lancaster County has almost tripled. Their separation from the rest of society actually helps to strengthen their community.
Amish children attend Amish one-room schoolhouses through the eighth grade. Amish worship services are held every other week in one of the member's homes. Socializing is an important part of Amish life.
The Amish have a strong sense of community spirit, and often come to the aid of those in need. Their barn raisings are a good example. Neighbors freely give of their time and their skills to help one another. With our society's current interest in restoring 'family values', much can be learned from studying the Amish way of life. Their devotion to family and community and their strong work ethic are good examples for our larger society.
Old Order Amish women and girls wear modest dresses made from solid-colored fabric with long sleeves and a full skirt (not shorter than half-way between knee and floor). These dresses are covered with a cape and apron and are fastened with straight pins or snaps. They never cut their hair, wh ich they wear in a bun on the back of the head. On their heads they wear a white prayer covering if they are married and a black one if they are single. Amish women do not wear jewelry.
Men and boys wear dark-colored suits, straight-cut coats without lapels, broadfall trousers, suspenders, solid-colored shirts, black socks and shoes, and black or straw broad-brimmed hats. Their shirts fasten with conventional buttons, but their suit coats and vests fasten with hooks and eyes. They do not have mustaches, but they grow beards after they marry. The Amish feel these distinctive clothes encourage humility and separation from the world. Their clothing is not a costume; it is an expression of their faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment