Henry Reed Stiles

Bundling Its Origin, Progress and Decline in America Henry Reed Stiles

Bundling is a practice that first originated in Europe in which a courting couple would sleep in bed together and could huddle or even kiss but they usually remained fully clothed or slept in separate sleeping bags so that sexual intercourse was not possible. Traditionally, participants were adolescents, with a boy staying at the residence of the girl. They were given separate blankets by the girl's parents and expected to talk to one another through the night. The practice was limited to the winter and sometimes the use of a bundling board, placed between the boy and girl, discouraged sexual conduct. Many sources claim it exists and is still practiced among the Amish People, also known as the Pennsylvania Dutch, especially in the area of Lancaster Pennsylvania. The Amish people are highly secretive. Their population is growing rapidly. The average Amish Family has seven children. Today, there are 230,000 Amish people, half of whom are under the age of 18. This is double the number from 25 years ago.