General Day of Repentance and Prayer in Germany

The word "repentance" has wrong associations in some parts of the German-speaking world. This day is dedicated to repentance in the religious sense, i.e. repenting for sins committed and reflecting on faith in God.

The Day of Repentance and Prayer in Germany is a holiday of the Protestant Church, dating back to extraordinary times. Since 1995, it has been abolished as a public holiday in Germany, with the exception of Saxony. Throughout history, Days of Repentance and Prayer have always been designated for current reasons. In the face of emergencies and dangers, the entire population was called to repentance and prayer. Since the late nineteenth century, a common Day of Repentance and Prayer has been observed on the Wednesday before Eternal Sunday, the last Sunday of the church year, i.e., before the first Sunday of Advent.

Because the Day of Repentance and Prayer is still a church holiday, some federal states prohibit dancing on this day and in some cases prohibit slot machines.