A Different World Amongst Modern Day Traditions

Posted on September 2nd, 2010 by Jennifer Marcial-Ocasio

Known for their simple way of living, their plain dress code and their opposition to adopting modern ways of living, the Amish community in the United States has set itself apart for the uniqueness of its population and traditions.

The Amish history has its beginning with Kakob Ammann, a former follower of the Mennonites who decided to split up of his affiliation with this denomination for what he considered “a lack of overall discipline in the Mennonite congregations.” As he favored stronger church discipline, he created his own congregation; those who started following him, were then known as Amish. Although Amman later wanted to unite both congregations back together, this was not possible. Nowadays, there is still a big Amish population residing in the United States, and their traditions and daily routines are so unique, that many people have gone by their communities to learn about their way of life.

One of the biggest Amish communities residing here in the U.S. is located in Pennsylvania. Whether you live at the Keystone State or are planning on moving here, visiting the Amish community at Intercourse, PA is a must. You will be amazed by it uniqueness, their way of living and everything they get done with minimal or no technology. If you want to experience a totally different tradition, adventure yourself to the unincorporated village in Leacock Township in Lancaster County.

The town receives thousands of visitors annually, and although many are intrigued and would love to move to their Amish town, well, it is just not possible. They barely have interaction with the outside world. In fact, only some members of the community are allowed to speak to the people visiting their stores and establishments. Although the Amish are mostly predominant in the area, there are also many non-Amish locals that also have business in Intercourse. You will learn fascinating things such as how they produce the milk, cheese, bread and many other materials we use on a daily basis.

By relocating to Pennsylvania you will be just a short drive away from this exciting and remarkable community. Just remember how the adage goes, “do not judge a book by its cover.” Before you start assuming anything about their lives or even about the town’s name, go ahead and explore it yourself; but keep you camera away, they do not like people taking pictures of them. By the way, for those who are curious about how ironic it is that an Amish town is named Intercourse, it was formerly known as “Cross Keys” but the name was changed in 1814, way before the word had any sexual connotations.

Intercourse is the Amish central hub; the place where they go to do their shopping, banking and much more. Don’t be surprise if you see everyone wearing the same colors for their daily attire; for them clothing should not call attention to the wearer by cut, color, or any other feature. Interesting facts, right?

If you want to learn more about this community click here before you make a trip to Lancaster County, create a schedule of what you want to do, and get ready to have fun!

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Tags: amish, community, traditions

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 9:26 am and is filed under Pennsylvania. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.