Today I Found Out host Simon Whistler explains why Amish men only grow beards, but not mustaches.
This tradition stems back to the early days of the Amish when wearing elaborate mustaches was common among those in the military. In their early days, the Amish and other Mennonites in Europe were often persecuted by these groups. In addition to that, the Amish, being a pacifist group, didn’t want to associate themselves with those who waged war, so strictly forbid their members from growing mustaches. Today, few men in the Western world choose to grow mustaches, but this tradition remains among the Old Order Amish people, which number about 200,000 in North America.