Rumspringa is an Amish coming of age ritual that allows Amish youth between ages 14-16 to experience freedom from their religious community before deciding if they want to remain devoted members or leave. It is a time for Amish teenagers to explore life outside their faith and determine if they want to be baptized and permanently join the Amish church. Rumspringa can last different lengths of time for each individual, from only 1 day to up to 7 years, before an official decision must be made to either rejoin the Amish community through baptism or separate themselves from it permanently.

1. Rumspringa
The Amish coming of age ritual

2. What is Rumspringa?
Rumspringa is the Amish ritual that lets the youth of their
community a chance to experience freedom before they are
expected to be fully dedicated to their religion. This usually
happens between the ages of 14-16 to both male and
female.

3. Who does Rumspringa?
Rumspringa is only for the youth of the Amish communities
across the world. This is one of the biggest things for any
Amish person because it is a sign of trust that not only your
family but your whole community trust you enough to let
you go to Rumspringa.

4. Why do they do Rumspringa?
The Amish believe that when someone is of age they are
able to make their own choices when it comes to their
individual faith and Rumspringa gives the youth a time to
decide and experiment with their faith before they are
baptised fully. Originally it was to scare the youth back to
home but now there is more an influence to stay away for
longer.

5. How long does it last for?
Rumspringa lasts differently for each teenager. You are not
officially of Rumspringa until you come home and get
baptised. There is no expectance it can last all the way
from 1 day to 7 years. But once you come back you cannot
return to the ‘real world’. That is why there is a big scare
that they will not return. Hence why they plant so much
fear into the youths mind about the ‘real world’

6. Photos

7. Rumspringa