Happy National Christmas Lights Day! Be sure to check out the dazzling Christmas light display in Lawrence County’s Amish community!

All kidding aside, many visitors often ask why the Amish don’t believe in using electricity.

The Amish of Lawrence County, who first settled here eighty years ago, are part of the Old Order. In fact, Lawrence County is home to the largest population of Old Order Amish people in the South.

Old Order religious beliefs, including their prohibition on electricity and motor vehicle usage, are grounded in centuries of tradition intended to maintain a life of simplicity and austerity. As Jonas Miller writes in his excellent book ‘The Ex-Amish Kid,’ “the Old Order Amish shun all modern conveniences such as electricity and automobiles because that is the way they were set up from the beginning, and that is the way they are going to keep it.”

These traditional Old Order convictions extend to every part of Amish life, from the clothing they wear to the type of facial hair the men can have. And while they may not have Christmas lights, their shops produce some excellent Christmas gifts, and they are open for business every day except Sunday.