The Amish are a group of people who have unique way of life with certain strict rules. We will be looking at the history of Amish men and facial hair. Their unique style is not common. Most men with beards typically shape and style them. Also, if a guy has a beard, he usually has a mustache too. That is not the case here.
The Amish beard is a full grown beard with a clean shaven upper lip. Another name for this beard style is the Shenandoah beard.
While some people may confuse it with the chin curtain, it is not the same thing.
Amish Beard Meaning
Amish men who have a beard means that they are married. The Amish do not use wedding rings. The beard is one way to show others that they are married. It is also a symbol of a manhood. If you see an Amish with a beard, it means that he has committed his life to his wife.
The Amish believe that hair, including beards, is a sign of submission to the group and devotion to God.
Why Do Amish Men Grow Beard?
Amish men grow a beard because they are forbidden from shaving once they are married. Amish live a certain lifestyle that promotes humility and a simple life. They are against anything that can be prideful. This is why they have such strict dress codes. It is more against shaving it than it is for growing it.
Why Don’t Amish Men Have Mustaches?
Traditionally, Amish men did not have mustaches because they wanted to separate themselves from the military. The military was seen as violent. Today, Amish men shave their mustache due to tradition.
Amish have Swiss German origins. They are also based on Christian pacifism. This means that they do not like violence. In the past, they did not want to be similar to military officers. To set their way of life apart from anything that resembled violence or war, they shaved their mustaches off.
Amish have since migrated to other parts of the world, and today, mustaches are not directly associated with the Military. In fact, most military branches in the US do not allow for facial hair. Even though this is the case now, Amish men still shave their mustaches off because tradition plays a big part of their lifestyle.
Amish Beard Rules
The Amish have strict rules they must follow. One of these rules is that Amish men are not allowed to shave their beard ever. This is after they get married. So, Amish men are not required to grow a beard, but they are required not to shave it. This does not apply to the mustache though.
So, it does not matter if an Amish man can’t grow a beard. They are still following the rules as long as they do not shave.
Amish Beard Styles
If you are thinking about growing a beard like this, then we have a quick guide to help you on your journey.
To get an Amish beard, you need to grow out your facial hair. Once it starts to get about 1 inch long, then you can start shaping it.
- Shave off your mustache completely. You cannot have one, even stubble must be removed.
- Shave the facial hair off of your cheeks. Leave only the hair on your jawline.
- Shave off your Soul Patch. This is the patch of hair underneath your bottom lip on your chin.
- You can be fairly liberal with your sideburns. Some Amish have thick and bushy sideburns while others have a trimmed up version.
Here are several examples for you to follow:
Short Amish Beard
Here is an example with a short beard and no mustache.
Black Amish Beard
A guy with black facial hair works great with this beard style.
The Lincoln Amish Beard
Perhaps the most famous person to wear this beard style is Abraham Lincoln.
Grey Amish Beard
Because Amish don’t shave, they can carry this beard style as they age. Of course, you will see a lot of grey colored Amish beards arounds. So, don’t be too shy trying this style out if you are an older man. It still works!
featured image via: Ivan McClellan, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Difference Between Chinstrap Beard And Amish Beard
The main difference between a Chinstrap beard and an Amish beard is the length of hair around the jawline. The Chinstrap has a thin line of hair that follows the jaw from one ear to the other. It resembles a chinstrap on a helmet. The Amish is much larger and thicker.