# Why do Amish guys have beards but no mustaches? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 9, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-guys-have-beards-but-no-mustaches/228320 "2004-02-09T20:42:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colinmarshall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Colinmarshall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colinmarshall)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-guys-have-beards-but-no-mustaches/228320/1 "2004-02-09T20:42:44Z")
Why do Amish guys have beards but no mustaches? Though this is based on a small amount of observation, I’ve noticed that the Amish men who have beards never seem to have mustaches; just the sort of ear-to-ear sideburn thing. Why is this? Is their lifestyle not conducive to the mustache, or is it more of a religious thing? I’ve thought about this for years yet never heard it discussed. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-guys-have-beards-but-no-mustaches/228320/2 "2004-02-09T20:51:48Z")
The Amish have traditionally associated mustaches with the military and police, and do not wear them so as to symbolically separate themselves from those groups. [Cite](http://www.amishcountrymedia.org/php/pres_faith.php) (found by Googling “amish mustaches”) ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-guys-have-beards-but-no-mustaches/228320/3 "2004-02-09T21:23:52Z")
This practice, along with many others, [appears about to change.](http://www.tobiasly.com/misc/onion/) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-guys-have-beards-but-no-mustaches/228320/4 "2004-02-09T22:34:28Z")
I know that Mennonites and Amish are not synonymous. But I’ve heard from a Mennonite friend of the family that the reason Mennonite men don’t wear moustaches is that Mennonite women don’t like them. I would not be surprised to learn that the reason is the same for the Amish. ---
**Author:** ![Sauroposeidon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Sauroposeidon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauroposeidon)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-guys-have-beards-but-no-mustaches/228320/5 "2004-02-09T23:03:17Z")
I hadn’t even noticed. Do some people think I’m Amish because I have a beard and no mustache? ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-guys-have-beards-but-no-mustaches/228320/6 "2004-02-09T23:13:18Z")
I believe Scarlett67 is correct. Don’t have a cite, but that’s what I was taught in Sunday School … Practice died out quite a few years ago in my denomination (Church of the Brethren, a closely related Anabaptist sect to the Mennonites/Amish), so that may already have reached, um, ‘pastoral legend’ status. 🙂 Didn’t stop my minister from teasing me when I came back from college with a beard & mustache. My parents were a bit flabbergasted, but suggested one day that I shave the beard & leave the mustache. The good reverend happened to be near at the time, and said I should go with the ‘traditional’ look instead & shave just the mustache. I’m pretty sure he was joking, but my folks didn’t seem to find it amusing …