10/30/13

An Amish Halloween

When I visit a particularly fave Swartzentruber Amish home, I know their children love candy. Small pieces of sweets find their way out of my pocket and into tiny outstretched hands. "Denke," they say in response to their father's reminder to say thanks. But, Amish don't do Halloween. 

Now this isn't to say that some of the "rebel" teens don't pull pranks. Soaping windows and burning a farmer's corn shocks near the road are but a couple of common pranks. I'd love to have my ex-Amish story-telling friends to leave your comments on ornery pranks.


Amish do celebrate Good Friday, the end of August after harvest time, Thanksgiving, and Christmas--simply of course. Watch my December blog
on how the conservative orders recognize Christmas. I promise that will be a most enlightening post! And return in January when I blog about a day they recognize that we don't--Olde Christmas.

Now that I have your attention, I want to thank you--readers--for the visits, comments, and many compliments! Today someone who subscribes and reads each post (but never leaves a public comment) told me how she enjoys this blog. "You show dignity and really get into the stuff I have questions about," she said.[Click to Tweet that]

Another regular reader did leave her comment and in part said, "As always, I enjoy your blogs immensely." Her comment was in reply to Amish say, "It's God's Will."

One, who must be shy, subscribes and reads but, sends her questions or comments to me privately.

An anonymous comment said, "How refreshing, a blog about the Amish that's actually factual!"[Click to Tweet that]

On my post about Amish Gma, one commenter said, "looking forward to more of your writing and experiences!"

On Amish Best Kept Secrets, a comment says, "Thank you Brenda for your writings that help us to better understand our friends who are Amish." On this same post, an Amish fiction author wrote, "Thanks, Brenda, for revealing the truth on here."

If you blog, you know feedback is valued. So I again say, "Thanks!" or as the Amish would say, "Denke."

Question: What is your fave topic so far and why? Leave your answer in the comments below.

8 comments:

  1. I was born and raised Amish in LeRaysville Pa and I have to respond about Halloween. Most Amish don't believe in Halloween, however my mom would let us take an old sheet and put holes in it for eyes and throw it over our heads or take a brown paper bag and put eyes in it and decorate it to use as a costume and go with our neighbors kids trick or treating.

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    1. Thank you Dora. I (and my readers) appreciate knowing your Amish childhood memoy - it put a smile on my face. You're right, most Amish don't believe in Halloween. PA hosts lots of different orders, some are quite progressive unlike the Old and Swartzentruber Orders. I'm curious, what order were (or are) you?

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  2. Yup, I have to say that I am Amish all the way on this one. Growing up, we didn't celebrate Halloween, never went trick or treating, never pulled pranks or had them pulled on us. However, my cousins did celebrate it. When I was 10 years old, I spent some days with them, around Halloween time. They had face paint for their Halloween costumes & thought it would be fun if we painted our faces while we played. No harm, no foul, right? Wrong. It turns out I was highly allergic to the paint, and it resulted in my face swelling to twice it's normal size. So, Halloween? Like I said, I'm with the Amish on this one. By the way, we kept the tradition in that we never celebrated Halloween with our own children, either.

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    1. Oh Dali, your comments gave me a smile, too. I can only imagine your twice-swollen face -- that must've SCARED you & everyone else. Again, thanks for stopping by to read.

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  3. I love Christmas and can not wait for your blog about that!! I love reading your blog! I check my email everyday looking for an email update that there is a new post! This stuff is so interesting!! Keep writing!!

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    1. Thank for your devoted readership Emma. Yes, thousands of people are intrigued with this insular, misunderstood culture. Being true to my ex-Amish friends, I try to be accurate and write reality with respect.

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  4. Thanks for another post explaining how the Amish really live. I appreciate your efforts to educate "the English" (at least I think that's how they refer to us...unless that's fictionalized, too!).

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    1. You're welcome Vonda and you're right, we're Englishers or outsiders.

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