Mennonite Manners (Part 2)
Now these other 3 branches of the Mennonite tree are not higher-class or more educated. Since they have not been as closed as the Old Colony and KG have been for centuries, they have accepted some influence of the "English" or "worldly" community concerning manners for their own benefit.
Old Order Mennonites of central and south Belize, who were originally Pennsylvania Dutch but have accepted Mennonites from the north, are more mindful of their public behaviour than the KG and Old Colony people. I have dealt with many of them as customers and never really experienced anything that most girls would call "gross" and "yucky". Females are extremely shy and show very little skin except for their faces and hands. Their skirts reach down to their shoetops; though it's wide it has tucks and folds to keep it from flying up in the wind. Personal cleanliness is paid more attention to among this group. Perhaps it is because they are spiritual-minded? Does being spiritual affect your hygiene?
Beachy Mennonites (Beachy Amish) and Holdeman Mennonites are churches made up of a variety of cultures, backgrounds, ethnicities and colors. Therefore it is somewhat difficult to demonstrate how they practice their etiquette/social graces. The black families may follow a habit that seems disgusting to the Hispanics, yet those Hispanics have practices that might seem apalling to the Mayas, etc. A noteworthy thing is that after becoming members, they honestly strive to dress neater and improve their hygiene.
Old Order Mennonites of central and south Belize, who were originally Pennsylvania Dutch but have accepted Mennonites from the north, are more mindful of their public behaviour than the KG and Old Colony people. I have dealt with many of them as customers and never really experienced anything that most girls would call "gross" and "yucky". Females are extremely shy and show very little skin except for their faces and hands. Their skirts reach down to their shoetops; though it's wide it has tucks and folds to keep it from flying up in the wind. Personal cleanliness is paid more attention to among this group. Perhaps it is because they are spiritual-minded? Does being spiritual affect your hygiene?
Beachy Mennonites (Beachy Amish) and Holdeman Mennonites are churches made up of a variety of cultures, backgrounds, ethnicities and colors. Therefore it is somewhat difficult to demonstrate how they practice their etiquette/social graces. The black families may follow a habit that seems disgusting to the Hispanics, yet those Hispanics have practices that might seem apalling to the Mayas, etc. A noteworthy thing is that after becoming members, they honestly strive to dress neater and improve their hygiene.
