The Amish youth period Rumspringa, or “running around”, is marked by an increase in social activity
Rumspringa, or “running around”, is the term used to describe the period of adolescence Amish experience starting at around age 16. Rumspringa has been described in books and films, to varying degrees of accuracy.
There are numerous misconceptions about Rumspringa, which is a formative time for Amish youth.
Common myths about Rumspringa:
- Amish youth leave home to live in the city-most Amish live at home while adolescents
- Amish parents encourage their youth to “break the rules”-Amish parents, like any other, want their children to behave morally
- Rumspringa is “time out” from being Amish-most Amish youth live at home and attend church during Rumspringa, and are subject to community influences, though may bend and break guidelines of the Ordnung as they are not yet church members
- Rumspringa is typically a time of experimentation with sex and drugs-some portrayals of Rumspringa have depicted the time as one of wild partying, though this is the exception rather than the norm
Rumspringa misconceptions
Rumspringa has been portrayed as time of experimentation and decision. While Amish youth will mull the decision to join the church at this time, an Amishman who has studied the subject extensively contends that this decision is typically already made in the mind of many youth. The Rumspringa period serves other purposes besides deciding whether to join the church, detailed here and below. One of those purposes is to enter into a more formalized social world and peer interaction, which occurs when joining a youth group.
Amish youth groups
Youth groups vary in their character—some “plainer” or slower groups are tamer, and even adult-supervised, while other “faster” groups are less conservative in expectations and rules. Youth groups typically meet on weekends. In the case of the faster groups, this may mean parties or “band hops”, while with the slower, or “singing” groups as they are called in some communities, meet at the home where church service took place for games of volleyball and group singing. The larger Amish communities may have dozens of youth groups, varying in degree of plainness.
Rumspringa is a time of increased social activity for Amish youth
Contrary to portrayals, most Amish do not participate in heavy partying, drug use, premarital sex, or other illicit behaviors—though these are not unheard of, particularly among “wilder” youth groups. Some Amish, particularly boys, may acquire a driver’s license and a vehicle during this time, which they might park at their parents’ home.
Some Amish, often boys again, will fit out their buggies with onboard stereo systems with large speakers. The vast majority of Amish youth, however, do not leave home for the city or even for their own dwelling place within the community, but remain under their parents’ roof until marriage.
Amish drug bust: Rumspringa taken too far?
The 1998 drug bust of two Lancaster County Amish youth for selling cocaine did much to fuel the idea of Rumspringa as a hedonistic, hypocritical period for Amish youth. As one would expect, the incident deeply troubled the Amish, and the response included anti-drug classes as well as more parental involvement in youth groups, including the formation of some “slower” groups.
Drug use is generally not widely seen among Amish youth. Nonetheless, the perception of the youth period as a hedonistic time, driven by national coverage of this story as well as by the follow-up 2002 documentary The Devil’s Playground, has stuck to a degree.
The purpose of Rumspringa
Contrary to belief, Amish parents do not “encourage” their youth to leave home and experiment with sinful behaviors—nor do they condone it. At the same time, there must be at least a semblance of free choice in the decision to become Amish. Amish parents may disapprove of their teens’ behaviors, but do not necessarily exercise authority to prevent some of those behaviors.
Amish youth play volleyball at Sunday singings
Rumspringa, according to one Amishman who has studied numerous portrayals of the adolescent period, is a time when an Amish youth enters into a more formalized social world, interacting with others in his age group in a variety of settings.
Rather than an angst-filled period of existential choice, it is primarily “a time to find a marriage partner”. As opposed to a sinful exploration of the world, typical Rumspringa activities are much tamer. They may include attending church singings, participating in games and activities with one’s “buddy bunch” or “gang” and of course, dating.
Amish dating
Dating among the Amish typically follows a common formula. A young man will invite a young woman to drive her home in his buggy after a Sunday singing. A dating couple may exchange letters and see each other mainly on weekends. A couple may date for a year or longer before a young man may ask for marriage. He will also seek out the blessing of her parents.
A key purpose of Rumspringa is finding a marriage partner
If all goes to plan, the couple will inform the deacon, who then “publishes” their intent to marry, or in other words, their plans will be announced to the church. Preparations for a wedding will ensue. Though it is not common, some Amish may date non-Amish, which can present complications.
Rumspringa ends at marriage
Participating in certain social activities as well as the use of unsanctioned technologies ends for many Amish youth at baptism, and at the latest at marriage in the Amish church. Following joining the church, Amish may continue to spend time with their youth group, largely for the purpose of finding a spouse. Baptism and membership in the church is required of prospective Amish mates, a decision which Amish youth typically take around ages 18-22.
Baptism may occur sooner or later however. Amish girls are typically baptized at a slightly earlier age than boys. Amish youth often maintain close ties with their Rumspringa friends, which may last a lifetime.
For more information, see:
Growing Up Amish: The Teenage Years, Richard Stevick
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10 responses to What is Rumspringa?
Thanks for clearing up myths! People hear about 1 or 2 youth doing drugs or partying and assume every Amish teen is that way. Our community and others around our area do not practice Rumschpringa at all. The reason our district was formed was from parents growing up in Indiana (where its highly practiced) didn’t want their children participating in that. So it’s frustrating that people assume “All Amish…(dangerous words! haha)” practice it. Thanks for clearning up some common myths!
Kate
What is Rumspringa?
Rumspringa is too important. How did you get on the Internet if you truly Amish
TOO important? You have got to be kidding me. This is one of the Amish’s most destructive behaviors.
If Amish children in Rumspringa went to all the churches in their area to learn and to test their faith and the Amish way, I might agree that Rumspringa has some importance. I have never heard of that happening even once. From everything I have heard or read, all Rumspringa activity takes place in the Devil’s playground to verying degrees depending on the participant.
I would love to be pointed out as wrong, but only by those that truly know. I was very glad the group I was with completely forbade Rumspringa.
What is Rumspringa?
Yes, like Kate, I am so pleased to see that some of these myths about Runspringa are set straight on this website. The 2002 documentary (if you can call it that) The Devil’s Playground was a travesty. It showed the worst of the worst. When I was an Amish youth in Ohio, I participated in Rumspringa. Some of my best Amish buddies are now Amish ministers and bishops, and I can freely go back to Ohio to visit them. At one point, I withdrew from the Amish young people, and began exploring ways to exit and join the Mennonites. Parents of Rumspringa-age young people vary greatly in the degree to which they try to impose limits. My parents were quite strict, and there were serious consequences for breaking Ordnung rules even though I was not yet a church member. Other parents of the same community, were more permissive. A few — mighty few perhaps — who might even encourage their youths to leave the Amish community, although none would ever encourage their youths to engage in wholesale hedonistic activities as depicted in The Devel’s Playground.
What is Rumspringa?
Yes, I can see that parents and church want their teenagers to choose to follow the Amish way rather than have it imposed upon them. This accepts the free-will that God has given us. Without Rumspringa then teenagers would be taken into the Amish way whether they want it or not. There is a weakness here that Amish teenagers would choose the Amish way without choosing to follow God, or to become ‘Born Again’.
What is Rumspringa?
they have stuff like this once in a while on a certain channel. Dont remember which one it was but the show was called “The Devils Playground” or something similar.
Thanks for clearing up the myths guys! I hear even in communities in which it is practiced, some youth choose not to even partake at all, and the ones that do definitely don’t all participate in drugs, sex, drinking like that Nat Geo show would have you believe. It sad for the ones that do though, because from my understanding they might not have as much knowledge about the dangers and effects of certain drugs even with a one time use.
I respect the Amish, especially for their peaceful ways, but I just read a great book called Amish Snow by Roger Rheinheimer (You can get it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble) that shows some of the dark sides that aren’t talked about. It follows a boy named Ezra as he leaves his abusive father (I’m sure it’s not common, but it can happen anywhere) and him trying to make it in the city in Philly on his own. He never once falls into the trap of drugs or drinking either at Rumspringa or from the city folks. It has a lot of twists and turns. It’s quite the dramatic book and it was hard to put down! I recommend it to anyone.
What is Rumspringa?
I appreciate this information! I’ve seen The Devil’s Playground and am from the area, which was even more interesting. It may be that most Amish do not participate in wild behavior during Rumspringa but it is my experience that many do. When I was in High School I hung out with many Amish boys. This would have been around 2003-2004. Although we lived closer to the Swiss Amish, I hung out with boys from Nappanee which is the community featured in The Devil’s Playground. The particular group must have been, “fast,” because they were wild. More wild than my group of English friends by far. They all drove motorcycles and nice cars and they would chug whiskey right from the bottle. So you can understand my hesitance in believing this partying doesn’t happen. I could fill a book with all my Rumspringa friend memories. And I can guarantee it would make even my English parents upset to know what we were out doing.
What is Rumspringa?
Interesting
My husband works as a reserve sheriff’s deputy in northern Indiana, where we have many Amish and Mennonite people. It has been his experience (and other officers) that most of the huge and wild parties they bust for underage drinking/drug use are Amish parties of hundreds of teens who come from all over the country. I must admit, I am pleased to read that the common understanding of the purpose of Rumspringa is not what most of us hear in our community, but seems like it is for a noble reason and a good time of courtship and fun. I think all teens need that. However, I would say that, at least in our area of the country, a lot of Amish teens on their Rumspringa do participate in wild drinking parties.
What is Rumspringa?
Rumspringa WOO!
I was watching the movie Sex Drive, and Ezekiel, an Amish guy played by Seth Green.
He said it was an Amish tradition, and when you turn 16 you have a drinking party.
Alright laters.
xx
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