Random Surprising Rumspringa Facts About Amish Tradition Of Rumspringa (19 items)

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  (#8) Amish Teens Can't Wait for Rumspringa

  According to a teen who's been on rumspringa for two years, children in the Amish community are dying to take a break from their life in the fields. “From a very young age you look forward to this. You can’t wait to turn 16,” she explains. The teenager also describes a "band party" with hundreds of rumspringers in attendance. 
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  (#15) Boys Embrace Rumspringa More Than Girls

  According to a Portland State University study of rumspringa, boys are more likely to dress and act "English" while they're away from the farm. The boys wear common clothes, buy cars, and live outside of the community on their own. Most girls, on the other hand, usually stick to their traditional clothing, do not drive automobiles, and live with their families within the community.
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  (#9) Amish Kids Love Beer as Much as Non-Amish Kids

  An NPR dissection of the Amish party ceremony continually notes how much beer the kids drink. Picture in your mind's eye, "A used-car-lot inventory of cars, trucks, buggies, bicycles, and motorcycles is already parked here. Iced coolers of beer are put out; Amish teenagers reach for bottles with both hands."

  With such a selection, the favorite is clear: "Beer is the liquid of choice, but there are also bottles of rum and vodka, used to spike soft drinks."
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  (#21) Most Teens Come Back to the Amish Faith

  It's romantic to believe that teens that leave on rumspringa, find their way in the world, and never return to their farms, but statistics show that more than 80% of rumspringers come back home after their time out in the city. 
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  (#1) How Long Does Rumspringa Last?

  There are differing reports on the actual length of rumspringa, with some reports saying it lasts one to two years, and others saying it lasts as long as an Amish teen chooses. Which, if true, means that it's possible for rumspringa to act as a kind of endless summer for some members of the Amish community.
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  (#14) Why Do People Return from Rumspringa?

  It's easy to think that Amish teens are immediately able to blend into the outside world once they leave for rumspringa, but a lot of them find it impossible to acclimate to the world outside of their farm. 

  "The modern world is too overwhelming for them," explains an Amish insider. "There is too much sensation, too much temptation. It is almost like when prisoners become 'institutionalized' and when they are released, all they want to do is get back in jail because they can't handle the freedom."

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