Amish Heritage And Village News
Want to learn more about Amish traditions, culture, and heritage? Want to see how The Amish Village changes over the seasons? We pack our blog with helpful articles all about the Amish culture and some news about The Amish Village.
May 26th, 2021
Summer is almost here! For most kids, that means sleeping in, beach vacations, extra screen time, playing with friends at parks, and swimming at the local pool. But for Amish children, their summers look much different. In this blog, we explore what a typical day looks like for Amish children in the summer months.
Early to Rise
Unlike most American kids and teenagers, Amish children don’t sleep in just because it’s summer. In fact, summer months for the Amish tend to be the busiest as farming is such a vital part of their family income. Amish, including the children, often wake up as early at 4:00 am to get started on their chores before dawn. In Amish families, rising early doesn’t mean ending the workday early. In fact, it’s just the opposite. The extra daylight that comes with the summer season equals extra time to tend to crops and livestock.
First Comes the Chores
Farming and homemaking skills are such an important part of Amish culture that summer is really just an extension of this vital education for kids. Amish life revolves around the home and much of their time is spent together working on their property.
In the mornings, children immediately get to work on their morning chores, such as milking the cows, feeding their livestock, gathering eggs, and cleaning up the animal pens. After the morning chores are complete, most Amish families eat breakfast together and take some time to pray and do Bible readings. Once that’s complete, it’s back to work!
Most Amish families have an average of 7 kids, and most children are given chores starting at the age of 4 or 5. For the most part, Amish boys work alongside their fathers doing outside chores, while the girls stay inside doing housework with mom.
Typical chores for Amish children include:
- Washing, hanging, and sorting laundry
- Working in the garden and preparing food for upcoming meals
- Making clothing for the family
- Cutting hay, tending the fields, and other work around the property
- Working at farm stands/markets selling food or goods
- Assisting with family businesses, such as barn building, carpentry, roofing, etc.
Time for Some Fun
Amish life isn’t all work — they do leave time for fun! Most Amish children are very self-sufficient and can entertain themselves. Since Amish children are raised to look after one another, siblings easily find ways to have fun together, such as fishing, non-competitive sports, riding scooters, climbing trees, or playing at an adjacent family’s farm.
The Amish have a lot of recreational hobbies that most Americans would view as “work”, such as quilting and canning, which are often sold for additional family income. In fact, many Amish girls truly love the time spent quilting with their moms and grandmothers since it is a sanctioned channel for creativity. Learn more about this popular Amish hobby in this blog.
Early to Bed
Amish children typically continue playing outside in the Summer evenings. When it rains, you can find them inside playing a board game – such as Scrabble – reading, or writing. Since morning comes early, most Amish families are in bed by 8:30 – 9:00 pm. Rest and getting adequate sleep is imperative for the Amish since much of their day is spent doing manual labor.
Still curious about life on an Amish farm? At The Amish Village, you can explore an authentic Amish Farmhouse, tour our 12-acre property, or get a guided tour to answer all of your questions!
FAQs
For the most part, Amish boys work alongside their fathers doing outside chores, while the girls stay inside doing housework with mom. Typical chores for Amish children include: Washing, hanging, and sorting laundry. Working in the garden and preparing food for upcoming meals.
What do Amish do in the summer? ›
Many enjoy puzzles and board games. These hot summer days provide ample opportunities for swimming in creeks and ponds. When those same ponds freeze over in four or five months, they provide a surface for ice skating that many young Amish people will enjoy.
What time do Amish kids go to bed? ›
The Amish retire early, typically around 9:00 p.m. This gives them time to wind down from their day and prepare for sleep. Once they are in bed, they say a prayer and then drift off to sleep. The Amish believe it's important to get a good night's sleep, so they can be fresh for the next day.
What do Amish kids do during Rumspringa? ›
Many of the behaviours undertaken by adolescents during rumspringa are part of a more or less standard American teenage experience: using cell phones, wearing jeans, watching television, listening to music, playing sports or attending sporting events, going bowling, and participating in singing and supervised hangouts ...
What time do the Amish get up in the morning? ›
The Amish stay up after dark, but they go to bed early: typically between 9 and 9.30pm in summer, and more like 8.30-9pm in winter. Most people start work at around 5.30am, so they're often up by 4.45am.
What do Amish children do for fun? ›
Since Amish children are raised to look after one another, siblings easily find ways to have fun together, such as fishing, non-competitive sports, riding scooters, climbing trees, or playing at an adjacent family's farm.
How often do Amish bathe? ›
In summer, conservative Amish tend to bathe at least twice weekly to eliminate dirt and sweat. The women may bathe more frequently and keep the home clean as well. New Order Amish may bathe more frequently than the Swatzentruber order, taking advantage of running water for showers or baths.
What are Amish bedroom rules? ›
Courtship Bedroom Rituals
Bundling entails spending the night together, in bed but fully clothed. A wooden board is sometimes in place to physically separate the young couple. Pre-marital sex is strictly forbidden by the rules in Amish Ordnung, the book of Amish laws.
What is the average income of an Amish family? ›
The tract that contains the most Amish is far from uniform, however. The distribution shows a significant number of families with incomes below $49,000. Twenty three percent of households living in this Census Tract have average incomes of about $42,000. More fascinating is the emergent mode at $75,000.
At what age do Amish girls marry? ›
Dating among the Amish typically begins around age 16 with most Amish couples marrying between the ages of 20 and 22. To find a prospective date, the young adults socialize at functions such as frolics, church, or home visits. One of the most popular activities is the Sunday night singing.
Rumspringa is a period that begins at age sixteen and ends with the promise of baptism, during this period young Amish are exposed to the outside world. Another problem the Amish community faces during the Rumspringa period is unexpected pregnancy.
Do Amish whip their kids? ›
They strongly believe that spanking is critical for children's healthy development, and physical abuse can result. The spankings often involve objects other than hands, since hands are considered instruments of love.
Why do Amish kids have their teeth pulled? ›
It is not uncommon in some Amish groups to have inadequate oral health knowledge and have the teeth pulled out by unlicensed and uneducated “dentists” to get dentures since this is more cost effective than tending to each.
Do Amish use birth control? ›
Birth control and abortion are forbidden by religious doctrine, even when pregnancy is life threatening. The Amish church has no rule against immunization, but only 16-26% of Amish children have received immunizations against the common childhood diseases.
What is Amish bed courtship? ›
Bundling is a practice where an unmarried couple lay next to each other in bed while fully clothed. The idea is to spend the evening talking and getting to know each other well. No touching is allowed.
Do Amish drink alcohol? ›
Alcohol consumption isn't prohibited in all Amish communities, and neither is it encouraged. It doesn't play a big role in Amish youth culture, either. However, it often becomes more of a feature during Rumspringa.
What do Amish do when it's hot? ›
On hot days after finishing up work, it's common to find the Amish doing many of the things you might do to stay cool. Topping the list of cool summer activities for the Amish include: Swimming in nearby ponds or creeks. Relaxing under a big tree with friends or reading materials.
How do most Amish heat their homes? ›
Wood and coal stoves are the most common heating elements in Amish homes. Most homes keep their stoves in the basem*nts, but some prefer to have several heating stoves on the first floor. The Amish place a large air vent on the floor directly above the stove. This vent carries hot air upwards.
Do Amish people take vacations? ›
Amish families in the northeast that are looking for a vacation spot closer to home will often visit beaches in Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and even Virginia. It depends on where they live, how far they're willing to travel, and how many days they're looking to get away.
