Where do you apply and which penalties are at risk?
Good Friday is one of the most important memorial days in the Christian faith. In order to maintain the first character of the holiday, it is therefore considered a so -called quiet holiday. All over Germany, stricter rules are considered on regular holidays, but it is not regulated uniformly. This is recorded in the respective holiday laws or holiday protection regulations of the federal states. The term “ban on dance” is not a legally defined expression, but has colloquially naturalized because public dance events are prohibited on many quiet holidays. Sports or music events are also often prohibited.
Table: From these times, the ban on dance applies on Good Friday
When it comes to the so -called « ban on dancing », Bavaria is often in sight as the strictest federal state. And that is also true: Both the fine in the event of violations is high, as well as the periods in which the ban on dance applies are unusually long. In total it is 70 hours. Public dance events are also banned in Baden-Württemberg from Maundy Thursday, but only from 6 p.m. They are also allowed again on Holy Saturday from 8 p.m. Rhineland-Palatinate has the strictest regulation: from Maundy Thursday 4 a.m. to Easter Sunday 4 p.m., public dance events are not allowed.
Incidentally, each legal text formulates the bans a little differently, the tap operation is sometimes allowed or explicitly prohibited. But they have one thing in common: the « serious character » of the holiday should be preserved by the bans. In the table we have listed the times for all federal states. The forbidden activities include public dance, sports, music and other entertainment events when they disturb the holiday rest. The times vary depending on the event type. The following times only refer to public dance events:
| Federal State | Forbidden activities | When are dance events prohibited? | Punishment in the event of violation | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg | Dance, sports, loud entertainment events | Maundy Thursday 6:00 p.m. – Holy Saturday 8:00 p.m. | Up to € 1,500 | Holidays Act Baden-Württemberg (1953) |
| Bavaria | Dance, music in restaurants, sports | Maundy Thursday 02:00 – Holy Saturday midnight | Up to € 10,000 | Holidays Act Bavaria |
| Berlin | Dance, music in bars, sports with entertainment | Good Friday 04:00 – 9:00 p.m. | Fine not estimated | Holiday protection regulation Berlin (1954) |
| Brandenburg | Dance, music, entertainment, sport | Good Friday 00:00 – Holy Saturday 4:00 a.m. | Fine not estimated | Holidays Act Brandenburg (1991/2015) |
| Bremen | Dance, music, sports, entertainment | Good Friday 06:00 – 9:00 p.m. | Fine not estimated | Holidays Act Bremen (1954) |
| Hamburg | Dance, music, entertainment | Good Friday 05:00 – midnight | Fine not estimated | Holiday protection regulation Hamburg (1970, last changed 2024) |
| Hesse | Dance, music, sports, entertainment | Good Friday 00:00 – midnight (part of a ban on Thu– -Sa) | Fine not estimated | Holidays Act Hessen (1952) |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | Dance, music, sport | Good Friday 00:00 – Holy Saturday 6:00 p.m. | Up to € 5,000 | Holidays Act Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (1990, changed 2016) |
| Lower Saxony | Dance, music, sports, entertainment | Maundy Thursday 4 a.m. – Holy Saturday midnight | Fine not estimated | Holidays Act Lower Saxony (1952) |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | Dance, music, sports, film, markets | Maundy Thursday 6:00 p.m. – Holy Saturday 06:00 a.m. | Fine not estimated | Holidays Act of North Rhine-Westphalia (1989) |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | Dance, music, sports, entertainment | Maundy Thursday 4:00 a.m. – Easter Sunday 4:00 p.m. | Fine not estimated | Holidays Act Rhineland-Palatinate (1950s, last changed 2018) |
| Saarland | Dance, music, sports, entertainment | Maundy Thursday 4:00 a.m. – Holy Saturday midnight | Up to € 1,500 | Holidays Act Saarland (1976) |
| Saxony | Dance, sports, entertainment | Good Friday 00:00 – midnight | Up to € 5,000 | Holidays Act Saxony (1995) |
| Saxony-Anhalt | Dance, music, sports, entertainment | Good Friday 00:00 – midnight | Up to € 1,500 | Holidays Act Saxony-Anhalt (1992) |
| Schleswig-Holstein | Dance, music, sport | Good Friday 02:00 – Holy Saturday 2:00 a.m. | Up to € 5,000 | Holidays Act Schleswig-Holstein (reformed in 2016) |
| Thuringia | Dance, music, sports, entertainment | Good Friday 00:00 – midnight | Up to € 5,000 | Holidays Act Thuringia (1994) |
Dance ban on Good Friday: How expensive does it become with violations?
Those who do not adhere to the rules commit an administrative offense and can be punished with a fine. The amounts are recorded in some laws. It is most expensive in Bavaria (up to 10,000 euros), Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (up to 5000 euros), Saxony (up to 5000 euros), Schleswig-Holstein (up to 5,000 euros) and Thuringia (up to 5,000 euros). In the other holiday laws, the fine is not explicitly recorded. Important: The rules refer to public events. Anyone who is too loud on Good Friday as a private person may also have to deal with the police, but depending on the offense, it will usually remain with a disturbance of disturbance and a warning.
By the way: Christians eat on Good Friday no meat. Others too Bans apply to Good Friday. Although all shops are closed, Bakeries at certain times open. If you miss the time window, you can Help petrol stations because they are on Good Friday can still open.
