Skip to content

Why Do Amish Men Shave Their Mustaches?

Amish facial hair is one of the more captivating points of their way of life for non-Amish observers. Amish men grow beards to show that they're married, but when compared with modern facial hair, it's missing a common element.

A mustache.

In fact, the style of growing a beard without a mustache is sometimes called growing an "Amish beard."

So this begs the question — if the Amish are adamant about growing their beards, why do they shave their mustaches?

The Amish shave their mustaches because mustaches used to be a symbol of military rank and pride, specifically with German officers of the 1700s.

The Amish were founded around the same time, and they wanted to segment themselves from most of the rest of the world — including violence.

Today, the tradition continues as it's now an ingrained part of the Amish way of life. Men have beards, but they never grow hair on their upper lips.

Want More Quick Tidbits about the Amish?

Sign up for our newsletter!

We send out information about new updates to our blog, different things we discover about Lancaster, and more.

Most importantly, we never sell your information and we never send spam.

Click the button below to sign up!