The Amish are a group of people that are mainly concentrated in the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana in the United States. In Canada, most of them live in the state of Ontario. What makes these people stand out in today’s times of modern and material comfort, that too in developed countries like Canada and the US, is the conservative Amish people beliefs and their plain way of living. It is for this reason that the Amish people are also referred to as plain people.

Amish People Facts – Order

The Amish people are divided into 5 main orders. They are the Old Order Amish, New Order Amish, Andy Weaver Amish, Beachy Amish, and Swartzentruber Amish. The Older Order is the largest of all the order. Along with the Swartzentruber Amish, it is one of the two most conservative orders. Each order has a church that runs independent of each other. Each order has a separate Ordnung – a list of oral and written rules that dictates every aspect of the Amish people including dressing, use of transportation means and farming techniques to be used.

Amish People Facts – Belief

The Amish life is guided by two key concepts. One is the rejection of pride and arrogance and practicing humility in every aspect of life. The other is that of calmness and placidity which can be translated into submission to the will of God. It is these two principles that forbid a number of practices like the use of technology based on the belief that it might make one too independent, taking photographs of individuals as this may promote vanity and use of modern innovations as Amish people believe that this may trigger competition for status amongst neighbors. Besides this, the belief in adult baptism is the hallmark of the Amish faith. The Amish people believe that an individual should be baptized on his own will instead of being baptized during infancy. Due to this reason Amish children are allowed to live a life outside the Amish faith, however, within the guidance and rules set by their parents. Once they come of age, they are given a choice to get baptized and join the community or separate from it for good. This period of freedom is known as rumspringa or ‘running around’. During this time the Amish youths get a taste of a world outside and decide if they want to stay with their order as adults or join the world outside.

By Debopriya Bose
Published: 11/16/2009

Each material requires different maintenance methods. Monthly cleaning and maintenance can help the furniture maintain a good appearance and make your investment last longer.

Outdoor furniture is a large investment and not something you want to replace every spring. With proper care and cleaning, you can enjoy your outdoor furniture for many years.

Our outdoor wood furniture is made from pressure treated southern yellow pine.  You will need to put a good wood protector on it to keep it looking new.  There are several on the markert that are good such as Super Deck or Behr.  You can get a clear protector to keep the wood looking natural or you can get a stain to darken the wood to your liking.

You will need to apply the protector every year for the first couple years then you should be able to apply every other year or so.