Many worldwide religions have easily recognizable symbols that display their faith, like the Christian Cross or the Jewish Star of David
These symbols allow people to recognize a specific religion or institution easily. There isn’t just one definite symbol to display their Amish religion, but this doesn’t mean they don’t have any at all, as they have many that symbolize their Amish values.
Many of their symbols have multiple designs and variations, which leads to confusion and misconception. Many outsiders don’t often see or recognize a single symbol, which is why many believe that the Amish don’t have one.
By the end of this article, hopefully, you’ll have a better understanding of the Amish symbols you might see and what they mean.
What Are Some Amish Symbols
Even though the Amish fall under a Christian belief system, they don’t necessarily use the cross as their main symbol.
Many Amish people wear crosses and use them to display their faith, but it isn’t used as the Amish symbol.
Like Judaism, the Amish have a star that’s often seen as their symbol, this star consists of 8 points.
The 8-point star has several variations, which leads to confusion about whether it’s an Amish symbol or not.
Hex signs are some of the most common examples of Amish symbols. Hex signs consist of stars or petals with many points painted in circles.
They can also be displayed on many products made and sold by the communities.
Products such as staircase baskets or vintage easter baskets are sometimes emblazoned with hex signs to symbolize abundance.
What Do Amish Symbols Mean?
Most Amish symbols are related to Amish cultural beliefs. Although they still wear the cross as a symbol of the Christian belief system, they have several symbols that mean certain things in their community but not one that displays their entire religion.
Most symbols displayed on their buildings are meant to ward off evil and bring good things to the community.
For example, hex signs are often painted with leaves or floral designs to symbolize the abundance of crops and to avoid misfortune.
Hex Sign
The hex sign or ‘barn star’ may be the most commonly seen symbol in Amish communities. It’s present in most Amish villages.
These signs are a form of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art associated with the Amish culture. Many can be seen in and around their homes and community buildings.
Barns and Amish churches in their communities will often have multiple of them around the outside walls. Their decorative nature has become a big form of art.
In the communities, the hex signs bring goodwill and ward off evil. They’re a sign of abundance and good fortune in the communities.
Horse and Carriage
The horse and carriage is a symbol that’s displayed on road boards and signs to indicate that an Amish community is in the area.
This symbol is often yellow with a black horse and carriage to display that there will be Amish buggies driving in the area.
This is the most commonly used sign to indicate an Amish community in the area. The Amish culture is very interesting and insightful, and if the opportunity arises to visit one of their villages, you should do so.
Conclusion
The main reason for the Amish not having a designated symbol to display their religion is that they believe that religion should be practiced rather than displayed.
Rather than showing their religion and faith through symbols, they would rather show the rest of the world their religion by living life the way they believe is right.
The Amish population has been growing in recent years, and many people have started noticing many symbols and signs that they now understand and associate with the Amish culture.
This increase in knowledge has helped many people understand what exactly the Amish believe in.
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