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Chapter 5
They are not allowed to have TVs, radios,
telephones, electricity, furnaces, or com-
puters. However, they can use electricity
made by a generator. But electric lines
cannot be run to the barn. They also can
run a refrigerator or washingmachinewith
a gasoline engine. Running water is
pumped to the kitchen by awindmill.
There is another way they separate from
the outside world. They are not allowed to
driveor own cars.However, they can ride in
them. They can also drive buggies and ride
bicycles. The TeamMennonites drive black
covered buggies. The Amish drive gray
covered buggies.
The Old Order plain people can use
tractors with iron tires to plow their fields.
However,manyAmishpeople use horses to
plow their fields. They do not use modern
farmmachinery for planting or harvesting.
Most Amishmen andwomenwear plain
clothing of white, black, blue, and purple
colors. Theydonot believe inbuttons.Men
wear dark pants with suspenders. The men
alsowear wide-rimmed black or strawhats.
Womenwear dresseswithblack aprons and
capes. Women also wear a large black
bonnet to cover their heads. Childrenwear
the same kind of clothing as their parents.
They also do not believe in having their
pictures taken.
The Amish people pay their land taxes for
public schools. However, they build their
own one-room schools. The school yard has
pit toilets — one for boys and one for girls.
Boys and girls are required to go to school up
to the 8th grade. They believe you do not
needmore education to be a farmer.
A young man and woman driving in an
openbuggy are probably courting. A young
man andwoman driving in a closed buggy
are married. When men get married, they
start growing a beard.
The Amish people do not have churches.
Every second week, they hold their church
service in a member’s home. When you see
Amish farms are runwithout the use of modernmachinery.
