Rumspringa

Rumspringa

This article relates to Life, and Death, and Giants

In Life, and Death, and Giants, the Amish rite of Rumspringa is a cause of great angst for Gabriel's grandmother Hannah Fisher. Rumspringa refers to a period of adolescence when young people are given more personal freedom. Gabriel was born into the "English" (or modern-day secular) world of Lakota, Wisconsin. As a young boy he returned to the traditional home of his grandparents and the simplicity of Amish life. Gabriel's past experiences with the ease and convenience of modern living leaves Hannah fearful that he will be permanently pulled into the ungrounded world of the English and that she will lose him forever. It's also at this time that Hannah realizes the tender years of Gabriel's childhood are over, and the uncertain times of adolescence have arrived.

"Paradise is not of this earth, and time cannot be frozen in its most hopeful and happy moments. I knew Rumspringa was coming, that the allure of English life Gabriel had already tasted when young might draw him back."

The word "Rumspringa" is of Pennsylvania German origin and comes from the German verb "herumspringen," which means "to run or jump around." Not all Amish communities share the practice of Rumspringa, but for those that do, this transitional period usually begins around the age of 16 and ends when one decides to be baptized into the church as an adult member.

Rumspringa is considered an important practice because it allows teens to experience life outside of the constraints of the Amish community before fully committing to the church. Most Amish teens continue to live at home, though they are no longer under the restrictive control of their parents. During this time, adolescents may experiment with non-Amish clothing and non-traditional hairstyles, attend movies, drive or buy a car, listen to music, and use cell phones and social media. It is also a time of greater socialization, and dating to find a mate for marriage begins.

Rumspringa is different for each person and can be brief for some while lasting years for others. Hannah's fear in Life, and Death, and Giants is that Gabriel will be taken in by the luxuries of modern life and decide not to return. While a percentage of Amish adolescents do leave the community after the period of Rumspringa, reported statistics show that approximately 85% to 90% of young people return to formally join the church and commit to the Amish way of life.

Young Amish women at the beach in Chincoteague, Virginia, United States
Photo by Pasteur, CC BY-SA 3.0

Filed under Places, Cultures & Identities

This article relates to Life, and Death, and Giants. It first ran in the October 8, 2025 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.