Germany's dancing ban and other peculiar Good Friday prohibitions

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).

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.

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."

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.

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.