Rumspringa

Courtship and social life

The Pennsylvania German word translates literally to running around. For Amish elders, this stage represents a normal transition toward courtship and marriage rather than an organized rebellion. Reaching sixteen allows youths to join regular Sunday evening singings, which serve as central gatherings for meeting future partners. Younger children who try to attend before their sixteenth year may playfully receive warm milk from a spoon to mark the boundary. In some districts, a young man marks this milestone by purchasing a courting buggy, while families with daughters of marriageable age historically painted their yard gates blue.

Rules and outside life

Because teenagers have not yet taken vows of baptism, they are not directly bound by church Ordnung, though parental rules still apply. Most young people stay close to their families and follow customary practices. A smaller number test outside boundaries by dressing in modern clothes, driving motorcars, or trying modern technology among non-Amish neighbors. These behaviors are generally handled with parental guidance, discipline, or forbearance. In larger settlements, teenagers often form distinct peer circles that range from traditional to more adventurous, whereas youths in smaller settlements tend to stay closer to traditional norms.

The baptismal choice

Rumspringa concludes when a young adult decides their future path. The Amish practice adult baptism, meaning each individual must voluntarily choose to embrace church commitments. Despite popular assumptions that young people abandon their roots in large numbers, the vast majority decide to stay. Between eighty-five and ninety percent of Amish teenagers ultimately request baptism and join the church fellowship. Those who do choose to leave may live among non-Amish society, though departing during this phase does not permanently bar someone from returning later to receive baptism.

How Rumspringa is kept

At age sixteen, or seventeen among Wenger Mennonites, teenagers enter adolescent social circles. They begin attending Sunday evening singings and social gatherings to meet prospective spouses. While living under parental authority, youths navigate social life and personal choices without formal church vows. Some may sample non-Amish clothing or pastimes, but most remain within standard household customs. The stage ends when the individual chooses either to take adult baptism and join the congregation or to leave the settlement.

When and where

Rumspringa begins when a youth reaches sixteen years of age, or seventeen among Wenger Mennonites. It continues through late adolescence until the young person either receives baptism or marries.

This custom is found across Amish and Wenger Mennonite settlements in the United States. It is observed in both large settlements in states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, as well as smaller rural districts.

What Rumspringa means

To the community, this period represents the bridge between childhood and adult responsibility. Because Anabaptist faith requires an unforced, conscious choice to follow church disciplines, adolescents must mature enough to make a voluntary commitment. It offers a structured space for courtship and self-evaluation, allowing youths to understand the responsibilities of adult membership before taking their permanent baptismal vows.

Questions people ask about Rumspringa

See also

Rite of passageA ceremony that marks leaving one group and entering another, with a new statusLine-crossing ceremonyA naval initiation rite marking a sailor's first voyage across the equatorSweet sixteenA North American coming-of-age celebration marking a sixteenth birthdayBar and bat mitzvahA Jewish rite of passage marking when youth reach adulthood and take responsibility for their own actions.

Good reading and sources

• Rumspringa on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-06.