Tanzverbot is the German term for “dancing ban”. In Germany and Switzerland, dancing on some holidays is banned by most state or canton governments.
These occasions are certain Christian and secular holidays aimed at mourning or contemplation, such as Good Friday, All Saints’ Day or memorial days like Volkstrauertag.
The remaining four enforce partial bans, meaning that nowhere in the country are your dance moves going to be particularly welcomed. Penalties vary, but violators risk fines of up to 1.500 euros.
In Germany’s more traditionally religious states in the south, things are taken even more seriously. Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg enforce stricter bans that begin on Maundy Thursday and run right through to Easter Sunday.
The decades-old ban rests on the principle that the Easter weekend should be solemnly observed out of respect for Christians, for whom Good Friday and Easter Saturday are days of mourning for Jesus’ crucifixion. In the Christian faith, these days are considered “holidays of silence”, rendering any lighthearted activity inappropriate.
Nonetheless, year after year the public debates over the Tanzverbot continue to resurface, with politicians and prominent personalities alike calling for secularism to be respected just as much as religious customs. The Pirate Party continues to attempt to overturn the ban and most years stages protests – including public dances, events and film screenings – across the country.
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