Photos: Dina Litovsky/The New Yorker
Many Amish families have been taking winter vacations for years in Florida, where the women’s volleyball game is a popular nightly event.
It’s fascinating to me how the Amish culture carries on generation after generation, an apparently calm little world in the midst of the turmoil that is America. Recently the New Yorker magazine followed a group of Amish families on their winter vacation and came back with a collection of charming photos.
Alice Gregory writes, “Each winter, for close to a century now, hundreds of Amish and Mennonite families have traveled from their homes in icy quarters of the U.S. and Canada to Pinecraft, a small, sunny neighborhood in Sarasota, Florida. Arriving on chartered buses specializing in the transportation of ‘Plain people’ from areas such as Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Holmes County, Ohio, they rent modest bungalows and stay for weeks, or sometimes months, at a time. …
“Originally drawn to Pinecraft’s affordable real-estate prices and off-season farming potential, the first Amish families began coming in the mid-nineteen-twenties, with the idea of growing celery. They found the soil disappointing, but not the comparatively languid life style. Now, without barns to raise or cows to milk or scrapple to prepare, the typically stringent rules of Anabaptist life are somewhat suspended in Pinecraft. …
“Earrings, usually forbidden, can be seen glittering from beneath white bonnets, and houses are outfitted with satellite dishes. … Swimming, volleyball, and shuffleboard are encouraged; ice-cream cones are a nightly ritual.” Check out some terrific photos at the New Yorker, here.
Although I don’t know of any special vacation spot like that in New England, I do know that Amish people sometimes travel to Boston. I see family groups from time to time at South Station. And I always feel a kind of admiration for their lack of self-consciousness in settings where they must know they stand out.
The first all-female Mennonite bocce-ball game in Sarasota, Florida. The players’ husbands stand on the side to cheer.
Yes, and interesting lifestyle to maintain in our modern world
They seem so content. Don’t the teenagers ever rebel?
There’s a large community of Amish in Rhode Island which may surprise some people. I run into them during my photo shoots from time to time. They’re all very nice people.
It surprises me, for sure. Will be on the lookout.
Yes, there are some teenagers that rebel and leave the plainway, but they are shunned and will receive no inheritance money, that is among the Amish. Mennonites aren’t as harsh when one leaves that faith. On my husband’s side of the family, he has an aunt and uncle that go down every year from Nov to March.
Deb, I’ve wondered–are you Mennonite? I met a young Anabaptist woman at weaving school and was surprised, a little, that she had an iPhone and seemed quite “English” (is that what its called?), though clearly devout. I guess there are many variations on the theme of Amish/Mennonite, just like there are lots of different kinds of Catholics, or whatever.
🙂.. you ask a interesting question! First I’m a Christian who attends a Mennonite Church,and you are correct in saying there are variations in the theme of Amish/ Mennonite, I attend what the conservative Mennonite classify as liberal, for I have as you know internet,iPhone,music with instruments,and etc…..and yes the Amish would consider you and me English. One thing that is different between some(not all) of the Amish/Mennonite and myself is what I believe on Sunday is what I do all week even on vacation.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your telling us this, Deb. Thank you!
You’re welcome.🙂
Thanks for the answer, Deb! I didn’t know that Amish considered Mennonites English, too. When I lived in Central Pennsylvania, I often went to an Amish market/auction that was held every week. The Amish were there, working with each other, but it seemed the only ones dealing with outsiders were the Mennonites. So I kind of thought Mennonites were simply a more liberal, more relaxed kind of Amish. I think I need to do some reading about all this!
Feel free to email me any questions you might have,I’d been glad to answer them .. if I can.😄
Thanks!
What a treat for me that this conversation is on my blog! My readers will be so interested. I know my “machatainista” in Sweden will be. She is always up for new insights about the US. (“Machatainista” is Yiddish for son-in-law’s mother. I don’t speak Yiddish, but what a handy word! We need a word like this in English.)
Thanks for leading the way on gathering more insight here.
Oh, I had forgotten about shunning. That would certainly deter some rebellious spirits.
That it would!
The photos at the New Yorker are amazing! They show is not just the differences but the real similarities between us and them–they want to have fun and be with their friends! Who doesn’t?! I did have trouble imagining riding a bus from FL to Idaho, though . . . .