About The Amish
The Amish are a deeply religious group descended from the Anabaptist movement. They have settlements in many states, but the largest settlements are in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, and Ontario, Canada.

The Amish do not drive automobiles. Rather, they get around by horse and buggy. The color of buggy varies from settlement to settlement, but here in Berlin, Ohio, they are black. Part of the reason for maintaining this tradition is to keep the community from getting too spread out. The bicycle and horseback are two other popular modes of transportation. The family and community is very important to them, which is why shunning is such a powerful deterrent to rejecting the Amish religion.

Amish do not have televisions, computers, or other electronic equipment. Out of necessity, they do use telephones, but these are kept in little sheds at some distance from their house (called “phone shanties”) in an attempt to keep from being tempted to use the phone more than just emergencies.
Most Amish speak English as their second language. Different dialects of German are their first language, with high German being spoken at their church services. In Berlin, Ohio Dutch is most commonly spoken among the Amish. Many Amish children don’t learn English until they are taught it in their one-room schoolhouses.

While the Amish culture may appear to be unchanging, even while the rest of the world is changing rapidly, this is not the case. The Amish simply are careful to only accept those changes which will still encourage close family and community ties, and a separation from worldly pleasures that may lead them astray.