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# Black Carriages
- URL: https://www.smoothpebbles.org/black-carriages/
- Published: 2025-09-21T04:43:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-04T04:43:14.000Z
- Author: Richard Flanders

Lovely \~1000 km motorcycle ride today through Quebec and the Ontario country side. Started at 5AM in Montreal with a cold morning 3 deg C (37F), then warm rain showers in the afternoon and ended in Sault Ste Marie Ontario around 6PM. Fall colors are starting here.

I passed many all black horse drawn carriages with whole families all dressed in black. I did some research …

These sightings are frequent (esp. on Sundays) in conservative Anabaptist areas east of Sault Ste. Marie, where small Amish settlements (e.g., in Blind River or near Thessalon) overlap with Mennonite farms. Buggies are typically open or topped with black canvas.

The individuals most commonly seen wearing all black while driving buggies on Sundays are traditional Amish men (and sometimes women in matching dark attire).

Sundays are church days in these groups, when buggies are especially visible on rural roads as families travel to worship services. This distinctive plain dress—often solid black broadfall trousers, suspenders, white shirts, and broad-brimmed hats for men—reflects their commitment to humility, uniformity, and separation from worldly fashion.

While Old Order Mennonites share similar practices, the “all black” look is more stereotypically associated with the Amish due to their stricter adherence to somber colors.

**Who They Are**

- Amish Men: The primary group fitting this description. Their clothing is handmade from wool or cotton, with no zippers, buttons (replaced by hooks and eyes), or patterns. Black dominates to symbolize equality and non-conformity, with women wearing solid black or dark blue dresses, white aprons, and prayer caps. This attire is worn year-round but is particularly uniform on Sundays for church.
- Old Order Mennonite Men: In Desbarats and similar Ontario communities, men often wear black or dark suits with white shirts and vests, but they may incorporate subtle variations like gray hats or blue work pants. Their look is nearly indistinguishable from the Amish at a distance, especially in buggies.

**Why Sundays?**

Sundays are the weekly high point for these communities:

- Church Travel: Services rotate among homes or simple meetinghouses, lasting 3+ hours with singing in German. Entire families (often 6–10 members) pile into buggies, creating convoys on backroads or Highway 17\. Morning services (around 9 AM) and afternoon visits mean peak visibility from 8–11 AM and early afternoon.
- Rest and Fellowship: Post-service, buggies may linger for communal meals or visiting, extending the day’s activity. No work is done, aligning with biblical Sabbath observance.

This routine has been consistent since the 19th century, with Ontario’s northern settlements adopting it during their 1970s–2000s expansions.