BERLIN – Several German cities hosted symbolic protests against the ban on dancing that is prevalent in most of the country’s states on Good Friday, the Friday preceding Easter Sunday.
The “ban on dancing,” which generally also includes the suspension of public entertainment or sporting events on the holy day, is regulated by regional or municipal ordinances and local authorities who are responsible for ensuring compliance.
Just as years past, various associations, including the Pirate Party, have called on supporters to gather in squares of cities like Stuttgart, Cologne, Frankfurt, Bochum and Mainz to dance in public as a form of protest against the legislation.
The president of the German Evangelical Church, Bedford Strohm, told the regional broadcaster SWR that he could not understand why an order to stop partying for one of the year’s 365 days was too much to ask.
The goal is merely to devote one day to contemplating and reflecting on the suffering in the world, said Strohm, noting that this ban is “a very important cultural value” that transcends belief and religion.
The Pirate Party said on its Facebook page that everyone should be able to decide how to celebrate different holidays, stressing that religious or governmental regulations that unnecessarily restrict freedom are unacceptable.
Recalling that 40 percent of the German population does not practice Christianity, the party has called on citizens to gather in central squares, listen to music on their headphones, and dance in silence.
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