Thursday, December 5, 2013

Their Rumspringa: An Amish Coming of Age



            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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