Rumspringa

Rumspringa (Pennsylvania German pronunciation: [rəmˈsprɪŋə], Pennsylvania Dutch: [rʊmˈʃprɪŋə]), also spelled Rumschpringe or Rumshpringa, is a term for a rite of passage during adolescence, translated in English as "running around", used in some Amish and Mennonite communities. The Amish, a subsect of the Anabaptist Christian movement, intentionally segregate themselves from other communities as a part of their faith. For Amish youth, the Rumspringa normally begins around the age of 14 to 16 and ends when a youth chooses baptism within the Amish church, or instead leaves the community. For Wenger Mennonites, Rumspringa occurs between ages 16 and 21. The majority choose baptism and remain in the church.

Not all Amish use this term (it does not occur in John A. Hostetler's extended discussion of adolescence among the Amish), but in sects that do, Amish elders generally view it as a time for courtship and finding a spouse. A popular view exists by which the period is institutionalized as a rite of passage, and the usual behavioral restrictions are relaxed, so that Amish youth can acquire some experience and knowledge of the non-Amish world.

Rumspringa is a Pennsylvania German noun meaning "running around". It is derived from the verb rumspringen. It is closely related to the Standard German verb (he)rumspringen meaning "to jump around or about". The Standard German term is a compound word of the adverb herum (around, about) and the verb springen ("to jump"). However, in Swiss German as in some other southern German dialects, springen  — besides meaning "to jump" — also means "to run". In modern Standard German "to skip" ordinarily would be translated with the verb hüpfen, which literally means "to hop". This term/concept also is used as a separable verb, i.e., rumspringen (to jump around) / er springt rum (he jumps around).

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