Vintage Pewter PA German Dutch Amish Candle Snuffer

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Nice vintage candle snuffer. Made of pewter and shows some soot inside from use. Not a souvenir and is an authentic household item. Measures 2 3/4 inches tall and resembles a small bell. Snuffer cup firmly attached to handle. Used to extinguish single wax candles in the single candle holders. I purchased this from an authentic Amish home in Lancaster County, Pa. Not Amish made but used in the land of no electricity w everything is oil or candle lit. Amish information: The Amish are an Anabaptist Christian denomination and Swiss-German ethnic group found primarily in the United States and Ontario, Canada, that are known for restrictions on the use of modern devices such as automobiles and telephones. The Amish separate themselves from outside society for religious reasons; they do not join the military, draw Social Security, or accept any form of assistance from the government, and many avoid insurance. Most speak a German dialect known as Pennsylvania Dutch (or Pennsylvania German), which the Amish call Deitsch ("German"). The Amish are divided into dozens of separate fellowships. This article primarily discusses conservative Old Order Amish fellowships with restrictions on dress, behavior, and technology. T are many New Order Amish and Beachy Amish groups that use electricity and automobiles, but still consider themselves Amish. In 2000, Raber's Almanac estimated t were 198,000 Amish in the United States. With an average of seven children per family, the Amish population is growing rapidly, and new settlements are constantly being formed to obtain sufficient farmland. In 2000, t were Old Order communities in 21 states; Ohio has the largest population (55,000), followed by Pennsylvania (47,000) and Indiana (37,000). The largest Amish settlements are in Holmes County, Ohio; LaGrange County, Indiana and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Some Beachy Amish have relocated to Central America, including a sizable community near San Ignacio, Belize. Most Old Order and conservative Amish groups do not proselytise, and conversion to the Amish faith is rare. The Beachy Amish, however, do pursue missionary work. Like the Mennonites, the Amish are descendants of Swiss Anabaptist groups formed in the early 16th century during the radical reformation. The Swiss Anabaptists or "Swiss Brethren" had their origins with Felix Manz and Conrad Grebel. The name "Mennonite" was applied later and came from Menno Simons (1496-1561). Simons was a Dutch Roman Catholic priest who converted to Anabaptism in 1536 and was baptized by Obbe Philips after renouncing his Catholic faith and office. He was a leader in the Lowland Anabaptist communities, but his influence reached gradually into Switzerland. The Amish movement takes its name from that of Jacob Amman (c. 1656 - c. 1730), a Swiss Mennonite leader. Amman felt that the Mennonites were drifting away from the teachings of Simons and the 1632 Mennonite Dordrecht Confession of Faith, particularly the practice of shunning excluded members (known as the ban or Meidung). However, the Swiss Mennonites never practiced strict shunning as the Lowland Anabaptists did. Amman insisted upon this practice, even to the point of a spouse's refusing to sleep or eat with the banned member until he/she repented of his/her behavior. This strict literalism brought about a division of the Swiss Mennonites, who, because of unwelcoming conditions in Switzerland, were scattered throughout Alsace to the Palatinate. This division occurred in 1693 and led to the establishment of the Amish. Because the Amish are the result of a division with the Mennonites, some consider the Amish a conservative Mennonite group. Some Amish began to migrate to the United States in the 18th century. The first immigrants went to Berks County, Pennsylvania, but later moved, motivated partly by security issues tied to the French and Indian War, and partly by land issues. Many eventually settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Other groups later settled in or spread to Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, ... read more

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