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Becca and Benuel
Hello, friends!
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My name is Becca and this is my brother, Benuel. We know that you are on a cultural adventure and so we thought we would tell you about ourselves and our Amish lives so you will understand our culture better. In many ways we are just like you. We love to play games, hang around with friends, eat fun foods and spend time with our family. We are also a lot like you in that we sometimes don't feel like doing our chores, don't always like the vegetable for supper, don't like tests in school and sometimes get grumpy when things don't go our way. I think all kids are like that! The part that makes us different than you is that we are Amish so our way of life is much the same way it was for everyone several hundred years ago. We believe that God, in the Bible, has asked us to live a very simple life. Just keep scrolling down the page and my brother, Benuel, will give you some examples of what I mean. |  |
If you would like to receive special letters from us throughout the year, fill in your name and mailing address on the "Contact the Workshop page". Don't forget to tell us your birthday (in the comments area) so we can send you birthday wishes and a gift certificate to use in the Store "Shunk".
Amish Clothing
The first thing you will probably notice about the Amish is that the dress differently than most people. It's true. Amish dress the same way our
ancestors did several hundred years ago. By keeping the same style of clothing through all these years, we don't need to worry about clothing fads
and fashion. Amish boys and men wear black strapped pants and solid colored shirts. They also wear a straw hat for everyday and a black felt hat
for Sunday. Amish girls and women wear solid colored dresses and black aprons. On Sunday though, the girls will wear a white apron and a white
prayer covering like the older women. Little girls will sometimes wear pastel colored dresses, but as they get older they wear darker colors like green,
blue, brown and burgundy. All of the clothing is hand made by the women in the family using the same patterns that have been passed down for
generations. That's the great thing about Make-a-Friend Workshop! All of the Amish clothing on the website has been hand made by local Amish
women in the Lancaster County area. None of it has been made in a factory or shipped in from overseas.
Horse and Buggies, Mules and Plows
You may have seen pictures of Amish horse and buggies or farmers working in the fields with mules and plows. Because we believe that we are to live a simple life, the Amish decided years ago when cars were invented, to stick with using horse drawn carriages and buggies. It is the same with our field work. The farmers don't use tractors and modern equipment, just mules or work horses and simple farm implements. Yes, the work is slow and travel is slow as well when using horses, but it helps keep our lives less rushed. We spend more time enjoying the day and the beauty in the world around us when we work at a slow steady pace.
No Electricity? No Problem!
Because electricity is also considered a modern convenience, we do not have electricity for radios, telephones, televisions, air conditioners or anything like that. But don't worry, we don't get bored! There is always something to do. Amish often have large families so brothers and sisters are around to play with, there's always something to explore outside and of course when all of our chores are finished we love to read around the lantern in the kitchen at night.
Amish Schools
Just like you, we go to school everyday too. We walk about a mile or two to our area's one room school house where we join other Amish kids in grades one through eight. That's right! After eighth grade we are finished with school and ready to begin learning a trade or skill at home or under the guidance of another adult Amish friend. The teacher also only has an eighth grade education, but don't let that fool you. The Amish receive a very solid education in reading, writing, math, history and geography. And because we love to read, we learn many, many things from books as well as hands-on experiences in our everyday lives. Don't forget to check out some of the clips about life inside a one room school house in the DVD, Make a Friend in a One Room School. It's a great DVD and was filmed inside an actual Amish school house just like I attend.
Well, that's all for now! Becca and I hope you enjoy learning about the Amish as you explore this site. Take a close look at the Make-a-Friend Workshop and make an Amish friend yourself! You will choose a boy or a girl, the hair color, eye color, a traditional Amish name and an authentic, handmade Amish dress or strapped shirt and pants. You can even choose handmade accessories that are just like the things I wear. Or if you want, you can build a barn out of real wood, complete with fencing and animals. Either way, the kits will be sent right to your door! One of the best parts after you order a kit is receiving special letters from my sister, Becca and I! Because after all, at Make-a-Friend Workshop we are crossing cultures and making friends!
