Re: Memes!

by Constantine Sun Dec 03, 2023 12:53 pm

Superjuice wrote:

I was thinking about this one documentary the other day I watched 10+ years ago on Amish teens and they go completely wild around age 16 and leave their homeland for awhile to wander the world as a rite of passage. A buncha of them get together and throw the wildest parties you've ever seen. Some come back to the culture of farming, etc.; others do not and struggle very hard.

This is true. Beginning at around the age of 16-17, Amish teens in some sects enter a period know as Rumspringa, which is Dutch for "running around." During this time they face fewer restrictions on their behavior and are not subject to the strict orders of their sect. The idea is that teens will come back to the church after tasting the modern world, but not all do.

The length of Rumspringa is a matter of personal choice. It continues until the teen decides to join the church and be baptized as an adult member, accepting the responsibilities that entails. Typically it lasts for up to 2 years for those who return.