The canton of Lucerne in central Switzerland, has canceled the ban to dance at certain holidays. This happened with a narrow majority in the Council of States, the meeting of the cantons.

Now is a 500-year dispute settled in the Catholic canton.

The prohibition to dance was on the following holidays: Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Pentecost, "le jour du Jeune federal " (literally: Federal Fasting day), Christmas and Ash Wednesday.

"State has nothing to say"
Green deputy Katharina Meile, who filed the bill, believes that the state does not have to decide on activities during holidays. The state and the church are separated, she accentuated. Meile finds it paradoxical that according to the old law music may be played in a bar, but that dance to the music then is banned again.

The Christian Democratic Party (CVP, center) and the Democratic Union of the Centre (UDC, right - populist, also known as Swiss People's Party SVP) wantto maintain the ban.

According to the UDC deputy Moritz Bachmann it is "incomprehensible" that one cannot respect the peace at only six holidays per year.

The ban is a recurring topic of discussion in the canton of Lucerne: since 1428 it is debated. (Belga / edp)
(Hln 09/03/2009)