For the Amish, a North American religious sect mostly in the Old Order Amish Mennonite Church, according to Britannica, a hirsute visage embraces a religious practice and provides a social cue.
Amish men grow long distinctive beards without mustaches. Part of the reason for this is they follow the Bible, which, for instance, says in Leviticus 19:27, "Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard," according to We Are the Mighty. The Amish, who are pacifists, also seek to distinguish themselves from those in the military by their appearance. British troops actually were required to have facial hair above the lip in the 1800s — a rule that stayed intact until World War I when clean-shaven personas fit under the gas masks better. Adopting a beard, though, also indicates that a boy has become a married man since the Amish do not use wedding rings. The beard growing begins after the ceremony, reported The Travel.
What happens when Amish men can't grow beards? After all, about 24% of Americans surveyed in a Body Logic poll could not, per Modern Gentlemen. That's alright, according to Gents of Lancaster, since following the rules of the Amish faith requires merely not shaving a beard. As long as that occurs, the Amish man is adhering to his religion's strictures, even with that smooth face.
