When the general population thinks of Amish men, they’re usually pictured with a thick, rugged and masculine beard, but it’s important to note that not every Amish man has one. In fact, there are Amish beard rules you may never have heard of.
It’s easy to guess what you may be wondering? Are there rules about the Amish styling their beards? Is an Amish neckbeard allowed?
Okay, okay, keep your hair on! We have all the answers you need and more, keep reading to find out.
What this article covers:
Do the Amish Grow Neckbeards?
You might be interested to know that the origin of the trademark Amish beard stems from their refusal to join the military.
If you ever wondered why don’t the Amish have mustaches, wonder no more. The Amish are well-known pacifists and, in the 1700s, many militaries required soldiers to grow mustaches.
To protest this practice, the Amish refused to grow mustaches. They didn’t want any characteristics or features shown in their community to represent war and violence.
So, they can’t grow facial hair on their upper lips, but what about their necks?
The Amish Beard vs Neckbeard
Amish culture still relies heavily on traditional gender roles.
Men are expected to take up a masculine role, doing the majority of the manual labor while the women typically perform the housework, rear the children and occupy their time crafting tall wicker laundry baskets and rattan baskets for shelves.
These gender roles extend to appearance, and men are often seen sporting thick beards.
The typical Amish beard is from the top of the jaw down to the chin, measuring at least 6 inches.
It has sideburns that reach to the ears and most sideburns are trimmed straight down, although some men leave it to be bushy.
Many Amish men shave the front part of their chins allowing the beard to grow only on the underside. This is why an Amish-style beard is often confused with a neckbeard.
To achieve a neckbeard, you must purposefully shave all parts of the face above the jawline. This leaves only the neck with a beard.
Amish men are required to keep their sideburns so if an Amish man were to have a neckbeard, they would need to make sure that their neck connects with the sideburns.
It might not be a traditional neckbeard, but it’s possible to pull off as long as there’s a connection.
Now that we can distinguish between an Amish and a neckbeard, there are a few Amish facial hair rules that need to be followed by men in the community.
Amish Beard Rules
No Shaving After Marriage
You may be surprised to find that it’s not just Amish kids who carry easter baskets and play with Amish dolls that are clean-shaven. In Amish culture, an unmarried man must constantly shave his beard.
Not having a beard is a sign to other Amish women that you’re single and ready to mingle.
Once an Amish man is married, he’s no longer allowed to shave his beard. The Bible mentions that a beard is a symbol of manhood and maturity, showing that you’re a man of God.
So if you’re asking yourself are Amish people allowed to shave, the answer is yes if he’s unmarried.
No Styling of the Beard
A well-trimmed beard is an anomaly in the Amish community.
When an Amish man is married, he’s required to keep his beard as is, only shaving in the cheek and upper lip region. This means that Amish men tend to have similar beards.
Conclusion
The Amish beard is something earned after marriage, and an Amish neckbeard tends to be a byproduct of a lack of regular trimming rather than a stylistic choice.
Amish hair rules strictly discourage vanity, so any neckbeard you see on an Amish man is very likely only there because the man’s facial hair grows that way.
Not following these rules leads to shunning and disrespect in the community.
So while an Amish man can’t have your traditional neckbeard, the Amish beard can be slightly adjusted to bear a similar look.
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