The Sacred Observance of Good Friday…

Greetings from our Amish community, where the beauty of Spring is bringing joy and blessings.

As we anticipate the observance of Good Friday this coming week, it's a privilege to share how the Amish community honors this significant day.

Good Friday is a time of reflection and spiritual reverence for the Amish. It's not a day for work or business but a day of rest and fasting. Necessary chores for livestock care are tended to, but the emphasis is on peaceful contemplation that mirrors a simple and faith-filled way of life.

One unique aspect of each Amish community is its division into multiple districts. Each district has its own school and its own church organization. During Easter, many neighboring districts coordinate their services, with one holding their church service on Good Friday and the other on Easter. This arrangement allows the ministers from both districts to come together to assist at both services and allows any families who wish to attend both services to do so.

Fasting is a significant part of the Amish Good Friday tradition. Baptized members abstain from food and drink until the noon meal to create a deeper connection with Jesus's sacrifice.

While fasting is expected of baptized church members, unbaptized children and teens are not required to participate. The Amish believe that young people should gradually be introduced to the deeper aspects of their faith and that the decision to participate in fasting should be made when they are spiritually prepared.

Amish families pray together throughout the morning on Good Friday, reflecting on Jesus's life and teachings. They read passages from the Bible, particularly those related to the crucifixion and resurrection, and engage in heartfelt discussions about the profound meaning of these events. This shared spiritual experience strengthens the bonds within the family and fosters a deeper sense of connection to God.

The spirit of family and community extends beyond church services on Good Friday. After the day's observances, many Amish families engage in leisurely activities together. This might involve working on jigsaw or word puzzles, reflecting their appreciation for simple, wholesome entertainment. Others might hitch up their buggy to visit family members or welcome visitors into their homes, reinforcing the strong sense of community integral to Amish life.

Good Friday is a time for deep spiritual reflection, fasting, prayer, and family togetherness among the Amish. Through these practices, they honor Jesus's sacrifice and seek to align their hearts and minds with the true meaning of Easter.

In addition to crafting heirloom baskets for our AmishBaskets.com website, our dedicated Amish families have been actively engaged in various tasks this week.

The Mast Family

The Mast family's daughters are conducting a unique project in their strawberry patch. They are experimenting to see if they can coax their early-ripening variety of strawberry plants to yield edible fruit as early as April. To achieve this, they have diligently fertilized the plants and provided extra care, including covering them at night for protection and uncovering them during warm days. Their efforts have begun to pay off as the plants bloomed this week. The girls are thrilled with the prospect of enjoying homegrown strawberries in the near future.

The Yoder Family

On Tuesday and Wednesday evenings this week, the Yoder family's men and boys visited their English neighbor's extensive egg production farm to assist in the replacement of aging chickens with younger ones. They waited until the early evening when the lights in the chicken coop were turned off. While the chickens were asleep, they could easily approach them, pick up four at a time, and carry them to the waiting trailer equipped with cages. The project was spread over two evenings with nearly 20,000 chickens needing removal.

The Gingerich Family

This week, Elizabeth was busy planting peas in their garden, nurturing the soil with care and anticipation. She looks forward to expanding their garden with radishes, beets, carrots, and dill next week, weather permitting. Meanwhile, Bennie devoted his Friday afternoon to replacing the shoes of the family's team of Percheron workhorses—a task that once took him less than an hour. With a reflective smile, he admits that the job takes longer now, and his back reminds him he's not as young as he once was.

"Teach a child to be aware of and appreciate God's fingerprints on nature. All children take an interest in something and if God's creation holds no attraction to them then likely the lusts of this world will."

— Amish Wisdom