The AMISH are religious group who o

The AMISH are religious group who originally lived along the Rhine River, in southern Germany and in Switzerland. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, some Amish migrated to the United States, and many settled in Pennsylvania. Other waves of immigrants followed, and today there are a total of about 180,000 Amish spread across 47 states.

This religious group has attempted to preserve the elements of the rural culture that existed in Europe in the early 1700s. They avoid many of the features of modern life by living in communities isolated from mainstream American society.

All aspects of Amish life are dictated by a list of written and oral rules, known as Ordnung. The clothing and the appearance of the Amish are set by these rules. Men usually dress in plain dark-colored suits and wear coats without collars, lapels, or pockets. Trousers never have creases or cuffs and are worn with suspenders, not belts. Married men have to let their beards grow, but moustaches are forbidden because of their traditional association with the military. Women usually wear plain-colored dresses with long sleeves, or a long skirt and blouse with an apron. Stockings are made of black cotton, and shoes are also black. Amish women are not permitted to wear patterned clothing or jewelry. The women never cut their hair, and they wear it in a braid or bun on the back of the head hidden under a small white cap or black bonnet.

The Amish avoid using modern technology. The conveniences that the rest of us take for granted, such as electricity, televisions, and they travel in horse-drawn buggies. Even tractors are forbidden, and most Amish cultivate their fields with horse-drawn machinery. Some more conservative groups do not even allow the use of lights run by batteries, although New Order Amish are beginning to use items such as inline skates, cell phones, and gas barbecue grills.

The Amish believe strongly in education, but they provide their children with formal education only through the eighth grade and only in their own private schools. Schooling concentrates on basic reading, writing, and math skills, along with vocational training and the study of Amish history and values. Education is incorporated into home life, with learning farming and homemaking skills considered an important past of an Amish child's upbringing. The Amish usually speak a German dialect in the home, although English is taught at school.

The family is the mast important unit in Amish society, and large families with seven to ten children are common. Marriages outside the faith are not allowed. Divorce is not permitted, and separation is very rare. So far, Amish traditions and values have survived the fast-paced changes of today's world but the younger generation of modern technology and way of life.