# Why do Amish men only shave their moustaches? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 3, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-men-only-shave-their-moustaches/375153 "2006-10-03T20:33:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Credente](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Credente](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Credente)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-men-only-shave-their-moustaches/375153/1 "2006-10-03T20:33:37Z")
I understand that men shave until they are married and then grow beards but continue to shave their moustaches… why? ---
**Author:** ![jay-c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jay-c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jay-c)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-men-only-shave-their-moustaches/375153/2 "2006-10-03T20:40:22Z")
From [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish): Typically, single Amish men are clean-shaven and married men grow a beard. In some communities, however, a man will grow a beard after he is baptized. **Mustaches are generally not allowed, because they are seen as symbols of both pride and the military** , a custom with origins in the religious and political persecution in 16th and 17th century Europe. Men of the nobility and upper classes, who often served as military officers, wore mustaches but not beards. The wearing of beards, however, is largely based on the same beliefs against shaving that leads Hasidic Jews and conservative Muslims to not shave their beards. Bolding mine. ---
**Author:** ![Credente](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Credente](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Credente)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-men-only-shave-their-moustaches/375153/3 "2006-10-03T20:45:51Z")
I looked everywhere but Wikipedia… thank you! ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-men-only-shave-their-moustaches/375153/4 "2006-10-03T21:27:27Z")
They also shave (as in “trim them” not as in “off”) their beards oddly. Most guys with beards grow the beards on the front of the chin and jawline, and around the corners thereof; I’ve seen many pix or videoclips of Amish men whose beards only start at the very bottom of the chin / underside of the jaw, with most of it hanging off the undersides. Unusual fashion. ---
**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:** [October 3, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-men-only-shave-their-moustaches/375153/5 "2006-10-03T22:15:58Z")
I’ve heard, from a Mennonite friend of the family, that it’s because their wives don’t like kissing them with whiskers around the mouth. Which, I suppose, is as good a reason as any, and better than most, for a facial hair style. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-men-only-shave-their-moustaches/375153/6 "2006-10-03T22:58:25Z")
Because it would be kind of silly to shave each other’s moustaches! ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-men-only-shave-their-moustaches/375153/7 "2006-10-03T23:08:20Z")
Unless there are two Amish barbers sitting opposite each other. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-men-only-shave-their-moustaches/375153/8 "2006-10-04T00:19:03Z")
[QUOTE=Lord Il Palazzo] Because it would be kind of silly to shave each other’s moustaches! [/QUOTE] Bravo! Well played, sir! ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-men-only-shave-their-moustaches/375153/9 "2006-10-04T00:39:03Z")
I was told by an Amish man that it’s based on these passages in Leviticus: > [@](#): > > You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. Lev. 19:27 RSV > [@](#): > > They shall not make tonsures upon their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards. Lev. 21:5 RSV ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-men-only-shave-their-moustaches/375153/10 "2006-10-04T03:47:16Z")
[QUOTE=Lord Il Palazzo] **Why do Amish men only shave their moustaches?** Because it would be kind of silly to shave each other’s moustaches! [/QUOTE] I was going to say its because Amish women aren’t hairy enough to shave. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-men-only-shave-their-moustaches/375153/11 "2006-10-04T18:29:55Z")
[QUOTE=antechinus] I was going to say its because Amish women aren’t hairy enough to shave. [/QUOTE] I’m not so sure. I’ve had several dealings with the Amish, and some of the women were… well, let’s just say it’s not too far-fetched to think that some of them might borrow their husbands’ razors now and then. Just sayin’. Sidenote: The SE Ohio Amish I knew just loved - absolutely loved - orange juice. Couldn’t get enough of it. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-amish-men-only-shave-their-moustaches/375153/12 "2006-10-04T18:57:45Z")
> [@](#): > > They shall not make tonsures upon their heads You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. > … > They shall not make tonsures upon their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards. I love these ones. I’d lay good money on how it happened - same as I would be when I see some ass with his pants hanging down by his knees. Young Israelite #1: “Dude! Check my wicked tonsure!” Young Israelite #2: “Beeyotch, the edges of my beard are freakin’ _marred_.” Young Israelite #3: “You two are such pussies, I’ve got shorn temples. I rule!” Leviticus: “Dear Yaweh, the youth of today and their _dreadful_ fashions. Tonsures? Why??? There ought to be a law against it…”