In an interesting twist, it seems that this “Rumspringa” isn’t limited to a certain time – it is, in fact, an event that can last as long as the Amish person wishes. When teens are sent out into the world and allowed to experiment, you can imagine that some would be thinking twice about coming back. That’s the naturally curious ones, of course! You can imagine it would be extremely intimidating and difficult to live life so differently – the meeker spirits surely were running home after a couple of weeks.
Interacting with non-Amish people would seem strange, making these kids literal fish out of water. Some do indeed return to the community after a week, but others take the plunge and seem to enjoy the experience. It is not uncommon for some teens to spend years before they realize they want to re-join their family and community.
Are You Old Enough?
The Amish question a person’s age before allowing them to enter their church. Christians will know that you are baptized as a baby or toddler and is deemed an important rite of passage. But the Amish do things slightly differently. According to them, being baptized should be done with careful consideration and after much deliberation. It is a choice.
The Amish are not, contrary to popular belief, a cult. This boils down to the fact that the Amish allow members to choose if they want to join, or go out and mingle with the "English". For this reason, the Amish do not baptize children – they feel that kids can’t make the conscious decision which will rule them for the rest of their life. The majority of Amish people are, in fact, baptized between the ages of 16 and 24.
Holy Approval
It makes sense that the Amish require quite a lot of time to consider things and make important life decisions; they have adopted a “slow” type of lifestyle, quite unlike our fast-paced technological modern society. Careful deliberation before making a decision is almost ingrained in the Amish psyche, and is often a decision that requires the acknowledgment and acceptance of the entire Amish community.
Dating, obviously, comes first, before getting engaged and then married – but not without the approval of the church and community. In saying that, there usually isn’t much red tape on the path to marriage. Once a man proposes, both he and his wife require the consent of the Amish church.
The Beards
The Amish are usually instantly recognizable due to their external appearance. How can you possibly go past those incredible beards the Amish men sport?! Again, the Amish uphold the belief that they should live as God created them – and they keep this commandment when it comes to shaving. The only exception is their mustache. But again, there is a reason for this: back in the 1800s, about 100 years after the church began in 1693, mustaches were more than a style.
Back then, mustaches were synonymous with wealth and high standing, as well as being part of the military. Of course, the Amish, who were devoted to a simpler, non-military lifestyle, lost the mustache - but kept the beard. Hence the clean upper lip, and bushy beard!
The Amazing Race
An Amish honeymoon is comprised of many activities, in different locations. It sounds like a treasure hunt, or more like the Amazing Race. After the night with their folks, the newlywed couple packs up their cleaning gear and go to the next house. They do the rounds, visiting each other’s relatives as husband and wife.
Ironic, considering that the point of a honeymoon is to get away from the family, not spend all your time with them! And if there’s no house in the picture, the couple stays at the bride’s parent’s house until they can move into their very own home.