SumBlog 10

Symbols, we see them everywhere with multiple meanings to very culture.  According to Clifford Geertz, symbols help define a culture, they help express something, someone, or a group.  There can be many different symbols, but Geertz divides them into two categories, physical like the American Flag, or a wedding band, and non-physical like a smile, a head-nod,  or a hand shake.

In our modern christian culture we use wedding rings to show that we are committed to one person and that one person is the one we will life the rest of our life with.  In the Amish culture they do not wear wedding bands, or any jewelry that will draw attention, so they grow their beards instead.  When a man has no beard, that means they are single, but when a man does have a beard that means they are married.  To most religions we would find this a little different, but for the Amish it's the way things have been and things have always been.