As the song says, you can dance if you want to. But not on Good Friday in Germany, which retains intense restrictions on Easter revelry. It's an annual debate — led this year by two generations of Social Democrats.
Image: DW/Elizabeth Grenier
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Among the things you definitely don't do in Germany on Good Friday ― a day to reflect on Jesus's death ― is dance. The inevitable debate about whether to overturn longstanding laws against dancing over Easter has this year opened up a small schism in the center-left Social Democrat party.
Kevin Kühnert, chairman of the SPD youth wing, said on Thursday that, while he would never start a party in a church on Good Friday, "anyone who wants to go to a nightclub should be able to."
But the 29-year-old leader, who enjoys a rising political profile, drew sharp rebuke from his elders in the party.
"Up until now, I had no idea that the SPD was the party of fun," 75-year-old former speaker of parliament Wolfgang Thierse said. "I joined the SPD because it advocates justice and solidarity, not for the interests of an otherwise highly successful club culture," said Thierse, a member of the Central German Catholic Committee.
As a minor storm brewed on Twitter, Künhert defended his stance on the grounds of the secularism that keeps the church somewhat separate from public life in Germany.
"Many thanks for the numerous unsolicited bible verses and evangelical videos. I'm not against the dance ban because of my lack of religiousness but because I think secularism is an important thing. Sorry!" he responded, concluding with an emoji of a man dancing.
People in the German city of Stuttgart gathered to protest laws that ban dancing on Good Friday in Germany. Good Friday is a so-called "silent holiday" in Germany, as it is a day of mourning for Jesus' death.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Schmidt
'I dance when I want'
As Good Friday rolled around for another year, the debate over Germany's decades-long ban on dancing in public again came to the forefront. People in Stuttgart met at Karlsplatz to express their discontent with the ban.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Schmidt
'No dance is illegal'
In 12 out of the 16 states in Germany, it is illegal to dance in public for the full day, the four others have a partial ban during the day. Berlin — Germany's clubbing capital — has a ban from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. Those that break the law can be fined hundreds of euros.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Schmidt
A day of mourning
The dancing ban was put in place due to the religious significance of Good Friday and Easter Saturday, which for Christians are days of mourning for Jesus' death.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Schmidt
Separation of church and dance
But people who speak out against the ban feel that the law impinges on their right to dance when and where they want. They say the church and activities such as clubbing should be kept separate.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Schmidt
Waiting for change
Despite the laws for some states having become more relaxed, for now, the ban on dancing in public looks set to stay in place. If the people of Stuttgart really want to dance, it will have to be at protests like these rather than their favorite nightclubs.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Schmidt
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Monty Python permitted, behind closed doors
Kühnert's home state of Berlin actually has some of the least strict restrictions across Germany's 16 Bundesländer, with clubs and music banned from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m..
In states further south such as Bavaria, dancing is forbidden for the entire day on Friday and Saturday, a situation which also has its critics.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/W. Kastl
"We respect religious customs, but do not want to impose them on anyone," said the pro-business liberal FDP politician Martin Hagen. "Reflection must be possible on holidays, and a visit to the disco as well," he said.
In neighboring Stuttgart, an administrative court allowed the public screening of films including Monty Python's renowned religious spoof The Life of Brian, but only behind closed windows and doors.
Further north in Bochum, a secular group announced it had obtained special permission to screen the cult comedy, and then to hold a dance. The event's name roughly translates as "irreligious in the Ruhr."
While a 2017 YouGov survey found a little over half of Germans favor the bans, that figure had only dropped by one point from 53 percent the previous year. In the 2017 poll, 62 percent of those aged 60 or older were against lifting the party ban.
With Germany's young Fridays for Future climate demonstrations often under fire for skipping class, their protests for this public holiday still have their restrictions.
Some local groups have tried to find their way around religious sensitivities by planning funeral marches for victims of the climate crisis or silent demonstrations.
Many of their elders might find themselves down at a traditional event that doesn't seem to be as racy as dancing ― a car meet of 20,000 fans at the Nürburgring in west Germany, known as "Carfriday" (a pun on the German for Good Friday, Karfreitag), where noise isn't as much of an issue as moving your body to music.
Germany's dancing ban and other peculiar Good Friday prohibitions
As a mark of respect on Good Friday, the majority of Germany's 16 states have a ban on dancing, commonly known as the "Tanzverbot." But what other activities are prohibited by the state on the Christian holiday?
Image: picture alliance/dpa/H. Ossinger
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
The most infamous of Germany's banned Good Friday activities is dancing. Described by critics as the "thwarting of night owls," the dancing ban or "Tanzverbot" has long been disputed. Rules vary across Germany's 16 states, with Berlin being the most liberal: The ban is only in place there from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Good Friday. Penalties vary, but violators risk fines of up to €1,500 ($1,860).
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Carstensen
Naughtius Maximus
More than 700 films which apparently violate the "religious moral feeling of silent Christian holidays" are banned from public viewing on Good Friday. Included on the "Public Holiday Index" are "Ghostbusters" and the seemingly harmless 1975 cartoon classic "Heidi." Since 2013 a Bochum initiative has shown Monty Python's 1979 religious satire "Life of Brian" in protest: the 2018 has been approved.
Image: picture-alliance
Red card for sporting events
Many public sporting events are included in the ban during Germany's "silent public holidays." Football matches in the Bundesliga and second division are also rescheduled, as they, too, fall under the prohibited category of "taproom and food establishments."
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/M. Rose
Bad luck for gamblers
As on all German public holidays, shops and supermarkets are closed all day. Thinking of trying your luck on a slot machine to fund those chocolate eggs? Think again. Slot machines are also out of service during the "silent holidays." Other prohibited activities include the car wash, moving house and private jumble sales.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Kegler
No clowning around
In the southern German state of Bavaria, the "Tanzverbot" runs for 70 hours - from 2 a.m on Maundy Thursday until midnight on Holy Saturday. Despite relaxing the ban in 2013 (it previously began two hours earlier, at midnight before Maundy Thursday), the largely-Catholic state decided a year later that circus events should also be included under the ban.
