​A day visiting the Amish

Whether you want shop for an Amish Quilt, or see Amish and Old Order Mennonite Quilts hanging out in the breeze, a day visiting the Amish is an experience most people do enjoy. While this is a tightly knit community, they do open their settlements to visitors during the day light hours. Through roadside stands and small quilt shops or woodworking shops, the Amish can create a revenue stream to help pay their taxes and other expenses they have.

What visitors should expect when they are visiting an Amish community is that they will not see any of the modern conveniences they are used to. There are no electrical lights or computers. All transactions for merchandise are completed by hand. A large quilting frame may be in the homes main room, ready for the Amish Quilter to sit and quilt for a while. It is also respectable for visitors to park their vehicles and walk while in this community. Visitors can also expect to be welcomed so showing respect for those that wish to live as if it was the 1800’s should be given to them.

All of the items and products that can be found there are made by hand. This includes the high quality wooden furniture that many people across the country like to own. One of the best selling items in the Amish community store are the Amish quilts. These are made by the ladies of the community when the household is quiet, sometimes during the evening hours using a lantern and during some daylight hours when they gather together to discuss events and occurrences in their community. What many visitors will notice most is that all of the Amish are busy all day long. They believe idle hands give in to the workings of the Devil so they do not just sit around and relax. In addition there is no machinery to help then do their chores like the washing of cloths or for the construction of new buildings along with tending to the needs of their animals.

What most visitors remember the most after spending a day with the Amish is just how happy and open these God fearing people are. They love all of Gods creations including the outsiders, frequently called Englishers, who visit them. This gives their visitors a warm and loving feeling that lingers during their visit, and even after leaving this tightly knit family and God centered community.

If you decide to visit an Amish community and want to take pictures, be sure to be respectful and ask permission before taking pictures of the inhabitants of the community. If you don’t, they will not get mad or yell at you. It is just a sign of respect for which they will return to you tenfold.

You should also be aware of the fact that outsiders are not permitted to stay overnight or after the sun goes down. The night time is the family time for its members. They enjoy a good meal together and can socialize amongst themselves without any influences of the outside world around them.