The Simple Art of Being An Amish Funeral Director
It seems hard to grasp that in the heart of America there is a community that actively resists our 21st century way of life. They live in a world without burgers, rush hour traffic, mobile phones or even late night shopping.
The Amish vow to live life as simply as possible. Without the need for TV, PC’s, mobile phones and even man made power. Famed for their dark, often scary to us, clothing, Amish men proudly sport full beards, whilst the women’s clothes cover their whole bodies.
The Amish express bereavement quietly and often alone. There is little public openness about death, although those close to the deceased do pay their respects across the three days between death and funeral.
Whilst we think of the Amish as a dark clothed community, the one occasion on which a community member is dressed in white is for their own funeral. Deceased women will wear their white cape and apron worn at their wedding, deceased men will be dressed in white shirt and trousers.
On the day of an Amish funeral, the community hold a church service in the deceased’s home or sometimes in a barn. When addressing the congregation (all delivered in German) the minister focuses on praising God, rather than commemorating the dead. There are no flowers and there is no eulogy. Nor is there any singing, as hymns are just read instead of sung.
No symbols of wealth pass to the grave with the Amish deceased. All coffins are made from pinewood and placed in graves dug by the community themselves. Gravestones list only the deceased’s name and age at death.
When a child dies in Amish culture, their mother will wear black clothes everyday for a year, their father’s a white shirt. Children are usually buried in unmarked graves.
Whilst this simple life may seem alien to us, the Amish are a community of great belief and faith. This can be seen in their conviction not to change from this, even for the death of a loved one.
Box’s Funeral Directors has over 150 years’ experience caring for the bereaved. We treat every situation individually and aim to provide you with a meaningful and memorable funeral, always ensuring that we listen to your particular needs.
categories: funerals,death,dying,culture,bereavement,society
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