‘Meidung’ means someone is shunned by the Amish community. Depending on the crime they’ve committed, and its impact on the community, some members can even receive the almighty “Bann”, which sees them totally excommunicated.
Depending on the infraction, the shunning from the community can last as long as several months. While it may seem harsh, it is enforced to ensure that the individual can reflect on their wrongdoing and genuinely apologize.
The Concept of “Rumspringa”
Each teenager goes through a certain phase where they experience that first taste of rebellion – and the Amish are fully aware of this. They know that their lifestyle isn’t accepted by all, so they’ve created an event which is a rite of passage, in some ways.
Known as “Rumspringa”, which translates to “running around”, the event sees teens between 14 and 18 exiting the community for a period of time, to experience “English” life. Because you know, it wouldn’t be fair to not allow Amish kids to experience life outside their world. But in saying this, there’s another side which has led to some members leaving the community!
Strange Dating Rules
In Western society, it’s a worry for many parents that their children are sexually active. Many parents will put obstacles in the way of it happening. But the Amish, on the contrary, allow their kids to “sleep” together. However, it’s not at all what you're thinking.
The Amish take dating quite seriously, and it involves a process known as “bundling” – a girl and a boy who are seeing each other share a bed one night. They are fully clothed, and not touching one another, but they sleep side by side. This practice is supposed to help strengthen their bond.
Polyglots
Back in the day, it was important, and more common, to be able to speak more than one language. These days, English is universal in business, science, and a myriad of other fields. For this reason, it’s become less important for people to know languages other than English. For the Amish, however, it is almost a rule that they all speak the mandatory three languages.
Firstly, there is the native German tongue, from which their traditions stem. Religious services and formal proceedings are, therefore, conducted in German. But there are two other common languages for the Amish.
Spare Time? No Worries!
The Amish are actually crazy about traditional board games! Considering they don’t have modern technology, or the likes of social media to take up their free time, this makes total sense.
Almost tailored for winter days around the hearth of a fire, the Amish are fans of Scrabble, Settlers of Catan and even Monopoly!