Fancy Dutch (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The term Fancy Dutch or Gay Dutch refers to the Pennsylvania Germans who do not belong to the Anabaptist churches. They, unlike the Amish, Dunkards and the Mennonites, who were considered sectarians, did not wear plain clothing, nor did they refuse to fight in wars. Many popularly-associated characteristics of Pennsylvania Dutch culture, including speilwerk, hex signs, and other aspects of Pennsylvania Dutch art, music, and folklore, are derived from the Fancy Dutch. The tourism industry and mainstream media often erroneously attribute such contributions to the more conservative Plain Dutch, though they would reject these worldly aspects of their more superstitious Fancy counterparts.