Pennsylvania Dutch Culture

Lancaster County is well known for the distinctive culture of its inhabitants the Pennsylvania Dutch – in particular its Amish and Mennonite communities. The term Pennsylvania Dutch refers to people who emigrated from German speaking countries in the 17th and 18th centuries, as the word ‘Dutch’ once referred to Germans. Pennsylvania Dutch culture is unique in a variety of ways – including its religion, lifestyle, and language.

Pennsylvania Dutch Religions Call for a Simple Lifestyle

Not all Pennsylvania Dutch are Amish or Mennonite, but these are perhaps the most well known of the Lancaster communities. The Amish and the Mennonites live like their 17th century forefathers did – without electricity or other modern conveniences. This is due to their deep faith and adherence to the Bible. The Amish believe that Romans 12:2 says “conforming to the world” could lead to worldly temptations. These communities thus live simply in order to avoid the sins of pride and greed.

Getting Around Pennsylvania Dutch Country

Considering the Amish have foregone electricity and other modern conveniences it makes sense that they also do not use cars. Rather, they get around by horse and buggy, which are easily seen in and around Lancaster. The Amish are allowed to accept rides as passengers in cars. They are also permitted by the Church to use public transportation such as trains and buses. Perhaps you will see a few Amish people while you ride around on the Lancaster bus system. However, the Amish are not allowed to fly by plane or use bicycles.

Clothing of the Amish Pennsylvania Dutch

The Amish believe that how they live is an expression of their faith. Thus they dress and act as they believe the Bible instructs them to. Married men do not shave their beards and women do not cut their hair. Men wear dark-colored suits, solid-colored shirts, and broad-brimmed straw hats. Women wear modest, solid-colored dresses with an apron and a prayer covering over their hair. Amish women are not supposed to wear printed clothing or jewelry. It may be tempting to take a photo of this unique culture, but its best not to. The Amish believe photos break the Bible’s second commandment not to make graven images.

Language of the Pennsylvania Dutch

Many Pennsylvania Dutch people speak a German dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch. However, children also learn English at school. The mixing of these two languages can lead to sentences that an outsider might find difficult to understand. One popular example is the phrase “Throw Papa down the stairs his hat” which should be understood as “Throw Papa’s hat down the stairs to him”. Also, English sentences may include German dialect. For example, “Outen the lights” means to “Turn off the lights”.

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