Old Colony or Old Order?
Instead of going into a detailed historical explanation, I'll simply offer a few tips and info on how to tell them apart and why they're different.
Old Colony
Old Colony is the English translation of AltKolonie, so called because way back in Chortitza, Russia they were the first Mennonite settlers in that country thus when they migrated to Canada they were referred to as being "from the old colony". A second general name for them is "Russian Mennonites" although their Plautdietsch language is a dialect of Germany.
In Belize, Old Colony people live in the north: Shipyard, Little Belize, Neuland, Indian Creek. They are commonly referred to as "Shipiareños" or "Shipyard people" even though they might be from Little Belize or another community.
The men use white or sand colored store-bought straw hats purchased from the Mexican side. Pin striped and low-toned plaid shirts with long sleeves, often rolled up to the elbow. Homemade black polyester pants with suspenders. Farmer's type coveralls are often used too. No beards and mustaches on the men, short hair on their heads.
Women use dark dresses with printed flowers that fall a little below the knee, 3/4 sleeves, white stockings, black slippers, either a white or black scarf wrapped around their heads and tied behind the neck. On top of this they often use flat, broad-brimmed store-bought hats. They will sometimes use black aprons.
Within their villages they use buggies and carts, but for outside travel they hire automobiles.
They are known for their engineering, mechanics, large-scale crop farming and unfortunately, their drunkeness and cigarettes but that is partially a stereotype since not all of them indulge in that.
Spanish and broken English are spoken by many of them.
Old Order Mennonites
These Mennonites have very often been called "Amish". Indeed they resemble the Old Order Amish of Pennsylvania and Ohio and their original settlement in Belize had a sprinkling of Amish from Ohio. Old Order Mennonites is a general term (Hoover Mennonites is the official) but the most common so we'll keep calling them that. Way back in time they migrated to America from Switzerland, south Germany and Austria, with a dialect of German which came to be called Pennsylvania Dutch in the US. Those who remained traditional were labeled Old Order by the newer modern groups.
They live in central and south Belize; the men use brown straw hats, some authentic, some bought, either light or dark solid-colored long sleeve shirts. They usually keep their sleeves down even in this incredible heat. Black pants with suspenders, it is extremely rare to see them using coveralls. Unmarried men are shaved clean but married ones have bushy beards and mustaches. Nearly all of them have longish hair cut in a circle.
Women use ankle-length dresses with many folds, solid colors either light or dark, black closed shoes, some use black bonnets and some use long black kerchiefs tied under their chin. Some also use black aprons.
They frequently use their buggies outside of their communities and are known for watermelons, organic farming, and quiet peaceful lives.
Most of them speak excellent English with a North American accent, as well as Spanish and Creole. Although some still speak Pennsylvania Dutch, nearly all of them use the Plautdietsch of the "Russian" Mennonites.
A note: within this Old Order sect there exists 2 groups, the more open, "Amish-oriented" ones from Upper Barton Creek, Springfield, Red Bank and the more traditional ones from Lower Barton Creek who have more Plautdietsch names such as Friesen, Penner, etc. due to some ex-Kleine Gemeindes and ex-Old Colony members who joined them many years ago. So although they would in a way fall under the Old Order name, there are various differences that set them apart.
Old Colony
Old Colony is the English translation of AltKolonie, so called because way back in Chortitza, Russia they were the first Mennonite settlers in that country thus when they migrated to Canada they were referred to as being "from the old colony". A second general name for them is "Russian Mennonites" although their Plautdietsch language is a dialect of Germany.
In Belize, Old Colony people live in the north: Shipyard, Little Belize, Neuland, Indian Creek. They are commonly referred to as "Shipiareños" or "Shipyard people" even though they might be from Little Belize or another community.
The men use white or sand colored store-bought straw hats purchased from the Mexican side. Pin striped and low-toned plaid shirts with long sleeves, often rolled up to the elbow. Homemade black polyester pants with suspenders. Farmer's type coveralls are often used too. No beards and mustaches on the men, short hair on their heads.
Women use dark dresses with printed flowers that fall a little below the knee, 3/4 sleeves, white stockings, black slippers, either a white or black scarf wrapped around their heads and tied behind the neck. On top of this they often use flat, broad-brimmed store-bought hats. They will sometimes use black aprons.
Within their villages they use buggies and carts, but for outside travel they hire automobiles.
They are known for their engineering, mechanics, large-scale crop farming and unfortunately, their drunkeness and cigarettes but that is partially a stereotype since not all of them indulge in that.
Spanish and broken English are spoken by many of them.
Old Order Mennonites
These Mennonites have very often been called "Amish". Indeed they resemble the Old Order Amish of Pennsylvania and Ohio and their original settlement in Belize had a sprinkling of Amish from Ohio. Old Order Mennonites is a general term (Hoover Mennonites is the official) but the most common so we'll keep calling them that. Way back in time they migrated to America from Switzerland, south Germany and Austria, with a dialect of German which came to be called Pennsylvania Dutch in the US. Those who remained traditional were labeled Old Order by the newer modern groups.
They live in central and south Belize; the men use brown straw hats, some authentic, some bought, either light or dark solid-colored long sleeve shirts. They usually keep their sleeves down even in this incredible heat. Black pants with suspenders, it is extremely rare to see them using coveralls. Unmarried men are shaved clean but married ones have bushy beards and mustaches. Nearly all of them have longish hair cut in a circle.
Women use ankle-length dresses with many folds, solid colors either light or dark, black closed shoes, some use black bonnets and some use long black kerchiefs tied under their chin. Some also use black aprons.
They frequently use their buggies outside of their communities and are known for watermelons, organic farming, and quiet peaceful lives.
Most of them speak excellent English with a North American accent, as well as Spanish and Creole. Although some still speak Pennsylvania Dutch, nearly all of them use the Plautdietsch of the "Russian" Mennonites.
A note: within this Old Order sect there exists 2 groups, the more open, "Amish-oriented" ones from Upper Barton Creek, Springfield, Red Bank and the more traditional ones from Lower Barton Creek who have more Plautdietsch names such as Friesen, Penner, etc. due to some ex-Kleine Gemeindes and ex-Old Colony members who joined them many years ago. So although they would in a way fall under the Old Order name, there are various differences that set them apart.
