When Amish teenagers, both boys and girls alike, reach
the age of 16, they are thrown into a liminal state known as their rumspringas.
Translating into “running around” from Pennsylvania Dutch, this is the period
of time when Amish teens are neither children or true members of the church,
which they become should they decide to get baptized. Rumspringas last for many
years, usually into the person’s early twenties. Tom Shachtman reveals this
Amish coming of age period in his book “Rumspringa: To Be or Not To Be Amish”
(2007). During their rumspringa, the teens are allowed to partake in “worldly
activities” without their parents’ intervention; activities such as smoking,
drinking, driving, and sexual collaborations. Not every teen goes as far as to
participate in all of these actions though. Many simply partake in courting and
gatherings of other youth called “singings” after church services on Sunday
mornings.
The rumspringas end when the teenager decides that
they are in fact ready to become a full, permanent member of the church. They
will be baptized and their period of mischief and freedom will be over. There
is another option though. A teen can choose to not get baptized. However, the
repercussions for this are hard. The young adult will be excommunicated from
their church. They are shunned by their families, made to leave their
communities. Except for their upbringing, they become English. This is why
teens attempt to drag their rumspringas on for as long as they can, although it
is usually shorter for girls than for boys.
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