That’s a question one of my readers recently asked me.

The Amish do not celebrate secular holidays. Those sit on the back burner of religious ones, but that doesn’t mean you won’t see an Amish family enjoying fireworks or having cookouts.

The Amish here in northern Kentucky are from Swiss decent and certainly will not be going out of their way to watch our local parade, but I’ve sat with neighbors high on the hill watching firework shows for years. Once I was invited to eat brownies and home churned ice cream on the fourth.

Many of my Amish friends who live in Indiana may enjoy in some of the festivities. Most work for the local bakeries, businesses, and Rv companies. Though some businesses remain open, some don’t, and the factories do take holidays off. The Amish do take that time to spent with family.

More conservative groups in Ohio, along with New Order and Mennonite communities, can be seen grilling out, enjoying games of baseball and volleyball on the fourth.

You will not see flags hanging on porches or purple martin poles, but you may hear the sound of little one playing with poppers!

The Amish are grateful to live in a free country. They simply contribute in different ways. They are the leaders in loving thy neighbor and supporting many missionary needs around the globe. They simply do not celebrate as you and I do.