Many believe the Amish lifestyle is all about work with no fun. Although, that is not entirely true. Amish people believe in working hard, having fun, and resting well.
When all the daily activities are over, the Amish have time to enjoy some leisure activities and relax. However, compared to the English people who prefer to go out to parties, shop, or movies, the Amish tend to enjoy activities around or in their homes and farm with their neighbors or families.
With no music, TV, iPhones, or cars, someone might wonder how the Amish have fun or what they do in their spare time.
Amish enjoy having fun together, and most of their fun activities are mainly shared. Normally, Amish leisure activities revolve around local activities involving nature.
Most Amish people enjoy the peace of the evenings after dinner, and duties are done by curling up with a good book, reading a newsletter written by the Amish people, or writing letters to friends and families who live far away.
The Amish devote a lot of time to reading about topics that interest them. Amish people have libraries that contain numerous books on biographies, history, religious books, and nature.
Amish Publications
You may be interested to learn that several books are published annually that are authored precisely by Amish authors about their importance to the Amish people. There are books on every aspect of Amish life, from quilting to cooking to farming to even romance.
Many Amish settlements publish their newspapers or newsletters, some of which are only circulated locally., and others that reach all Amish settlements in the country.
It’s always fascinating to hear about the latest and greatest farming methods being used by a different Amish settlement or the innovative patterns being created by a quilting bee among the Amish.
Even Amish youth have their newsletters devoted to topics like sports, celebrity news, and teen romance. Many activities which other people would as work, like quilting, are normal activities for adults.
The Amish community prohibits the use of electric gadgets like telephones and computers, which disconnects the Amish from the other world.
What do the Amish do at Night? Click to Read.
Since there is no TV to entertain the Amish, they mainly gather around after dinner to play games. During rumspringa, the teenagers get the opportunity to play” worldly” games.
However, some of the teenagers may rebel while still in the Amish community, a phase known as “sowing wild oats.”
The activities they might indulge in are drinking parties, driving a car, going shopping, or even buying a car. The youths will cut their hair and exchange their Amish clothes for English clothes.
Due to the current interaction of the Amish with non-Amish communities, some Amish enjoy occasional trips to attend birthday parties or eat out at local restaurants.
Also, Amish people encourage creativeness, where children learn how to make crafts, draw, or write poetry in school.
Competition among children is discouraged as the Amish are humble in nature. Also, most of the games are normally conducted during the weekend as the Amish go to bed early.
However, not all Amish communities share the same fun activities. For instance, some may see a little harm in participating in sports while others feel sporting is the best game for their children. Here are some other fun activities the Amish do.
Also, Check out: Do Amish Celebrate Holidays?
Amish Quilting
It is a popular hobby among Amish females. Many grandmothers, mothers, and daughters enjoy spending their leisure time practicing the quilting craft.
The quilting normally constitutes around 20-30 females. The makers of Amish quilts produce stunning pieces of art, but they avoid showing any sign of pride to maintain their humbleness.
Because the Amish believe that art is a waste of time and resources, anything that can be deemed artistic will typically serve a purpose in addition to offering a source of aesthetic pleasure.
Since quilts may be used for a purpose, they are considered a sanctioned avenue for creativity. Many quilts are regarded as family treasures and are given from one generation to the next.
Quilts are commonly manufactured to provide a family with a source of income. However, quilts can also be used as a presentation mode for special occasions such as weddings and births.
Amish women are allowed to use colors in their quilting materials. Older women and mothers take their time to show the little girls how the quilt is; hence they start learning from a young age.
Quilting is usually a good way for Amish women to interact and learn other new quilting techniques. The women meet for female companionship, community gossiping, and to form a sense of unity between communities.
Outdoor activities and camping
Amish people truly appreciate nature, so they love and enjoy a lot of outdoor activities like hunting and fishing, which also is a means of providing food.
Amish enjoy various outdoor activities involving wildlife and nature. Many of the Amish men are hunters. The men hunt birds and deer, and sometimes they take a trip towards the west to look for larger games. Amish men use bows and firearms to hunt.
Also, on other occasions, Amish members camp in wooded areas and local meadows. Nowadays, Amish families are holding campfires during family reunions where they bring their food to relax and enjoy.
During hunting, Amish men rent a hunting cabin or charter a boat for several days in the Eastern waterways, other Amish who love birding travel across their country to popular migration sites.
The birders keep a tally of the birds they spot on their firm and the ones they see on their birding trips.
Also, there are other outdoor activities like water and snow skiing among the youth. For highly progressive families, travel and recreational activities are more popular.
Some Amish people own small motorboats, which they use for fishing and water riding.
Canning
Amish families do canning to store food for seasons with no produce. The foodstuffs are sealed in glass jars to preserve them for future use.
Although it might sound more like work than a hobby to the average American, the Amish take great pleasure in performing this activity. They take great pride in performing this activity.
They take great pride in their harvests and thoroughly enjoy the process of finding new ways to make their crops last longer throughout the year.
Salsa, soup, fruits, vegetables, and even some meats are among the products that are the most popular for Amish people to preserve through the canning process.
The Amish love can chowchow because it is versatile and may be used as a condiment, a side dish, or even just eaten straight out of the jar. It is one of the most popular items to preserve through the canning process.
Amish Games
On the winter season or rainy days, the Amish play house games as a family.
Typically, they enjoy board games like Life on the farm, Monopoly, Scrabble, and card games like Uno. Also, the Amish enjoy sports games which are enjoyed by all ages.
The games are not played competitively and involve no gambling. This is because the Amish do not condone the idea of pride and competition but rather teamwork.
The team sports played include volleyball, basketball, and softball.
Connecting with others
Amish believe in respecting others; hence they spare a lot of their spare time visiting and connecting with other people.
The Amish regularly visit neighbors, church friends, relatives, and non-Amish friends. Normally, one visits their sibling’s family or other relatives with a newborn baby.
The visits are often unannounced, so an Amish family always expects to see or have a guest at nearly any time on Sunday evening.
The visitors come for a piece of pie, and coffee, exchange news, make a plan for the next reunion and catch up.
The Amish spend time writing letters to stay in touch with friends that are not around. The letters entail family updates, sharing recipes, or giving family advice.
The young children start this hobby early by writing to their pen pals’ neighboring friends. The Amish visit friends or have friends over on Sunday evenings after church.
Also, during the evenings there were singings for the young people where they chat, dance and have other fun.
Amish Auctions
Amish members love going to the auction. They are very practical and thus appreciate the chance to acquire things at a bargain and sell their unneeded stuff at the auction.
Many locals and visitors alike make it a point to attend any major auction held in or near the town, and schools often dismiss early to accommodate the throngs of attendees.
Amish men frequently attend farmland auctions and livestock auctions to remain abreast of regional agricultural trends and prices.
To make ends meet, many Amish women like attending domestic auctions where they may sell their handmade quilts and buy new furnishings., linens and dishes.
In addition to buying and selling goods, the auction serves as a social gathering spot for the Amish community.
In conclusion, the Amish do have fun activities. Although they work hard and spend a lot of time doing chores, the Amish enjoy numerous games and activities.
Commonly, there is quilting where Amish women gather to quilt. Additionally, there are other fun activities like visiting, singing, sports, auctions, hunting, canning, and camping.
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