• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Amish 365
  • About
  • Amish Recipes
  • Amish Culture
  • Amish Marketplace
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Amish Recipes
  • Amish Culture
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Amish Recipes
    • Amish Culture
    • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Everything Amish » Amish in the News

    Hunting For Hex Signs...

    Published: Apr 14, 2012 · Updated: Feb 2, 2021 by Kevin Williams | 1 Comment

    A clarification that often bears repeating:  many/most Amish consider themselves Pennsylvania Dutch, but not all Pennsylvania Dutch are Amish.  Pennsylvania Dutch is a broad "umbrella term" which can include Lutheran, Moravians, Catholics, Anabaptists and other religions represented by the broad migration of Germans to Pennsylvania in the 1700s and 1800s.  The term Dutch comes from the misappropriation of the term deutsch, meaning German.  A college professor who studies the Pennsylvania Dutch once told me the correct term should actually be "Pennsylvania German," a term which has come into wider use.  All of this brings me to "hex signs", colorful symbols painted on period barns found in parts of Pennsylvania.    When I was younger and first studying the Amish, hex signs were sometimes associated with them.  But the Amish association with hex signs historically is likely minimal.  Hex signs do, however, decorate barns throughout Pennsylvania Dutch country, their meanings most often lost to time.  Click here to read an interesting Washington Post piece about hex signs in Pennsylvania.

    « "Amish Taxis" Targeted in Pennsylvania - What do you think?
    "The Amish Cook, Week of April 16, 2012" »

    About Kevin Williams

    Hi, my name is Kevin Williams and I am owner of Oasis Newsfeatures and editor of The Amish Cook newspaper column.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karen Ruppel

      April 15, 2012 at 10:56 pm

      My mother was Pennsylvania German. her family came to Pa with Wm Penn. She taught art and was the first of family to leave Pa.Our house always had Hex signs on doors, walls, etc. I have them in my kitchen. they remind me of my family .

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Kevin Williams - The Amish Editor Amish Cook Column

    Hi There, I'm Kevin!

    Welcome to Amish365, where I share my knowledge of Amish cooking and culture! I’ve spent almost three decades exploring Amish settlements and kitchens from Maine to Montana and almost everywhere in between. I’ll occasionally throw in stories of my travels, journalism adventures (I’m a Pulitzer prize-nominated journalist), fascination with grocery stores and Kmarts, and much more!

    More about me →

    Latest Amish Recipes

    • 5 Amish Springtime Farmhouse Recipes
    • Delicious Amish Ham Meatballs
      Delicious Amish Ham Meatballs
    • Why Do The Amish Worship At Home?
    • Finished Ham Loaf
      Amish Ham Loaf
    dutchcrafters

    Download The "Almost Amish" Ebook

    Footer

    Footer

    About

    • About The Amish Editor
    • Download "Almost Amish" Ebook
    • Amish Communities
    • Amish Marketplace

    Contact

    • Work With Us
    • Contact

    *As a member of various affiliate programs I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2000 - 2020 Amish 365 | Powered by Touch The Road