Tanzverbot

I live in a pretty crazy country. There are a lot of laws, but no-one really obeys them.

Germany also has a lot of laws, but they’re probably a lot more law-abiding than South Africans.

That will be tested (again) this weekend, though. Because it’s Tanzverbot time.

With restrictions varying across the country’s 16 states, the dancing ban, or ‘Tanzverbot’, effectively bars public dancing on the Christian holiday. In some states, including Hesse, the ban lasts for more than one day.

Now authorities in Frankfurt, the biggest city in Hesse, have vowed to crack down on anyone who ignores the ban that’s in place from Thursday to Saturday.

Bizarre. And stupid. The most irritating thing about Christian holidays here is that the bottle stores close – which is equally bizarre and stupid – but you can still dance!

“Even those who do not belong to a religion themselves should show respect for the feelings of others,” said the Uwe Becker, the CDU politician who is head of the church department in Frankfurt.

Indeed. Because there’s nothing that ruins a religious holiday more than some people you have never met, dancing in a nightclub in the city centre while you’re fast asleep 20km away in the suburbs. So disrespectful.

I’m very glad we don’t have such a silly law here.

Not that anyone would take any notice anyway.

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