Celebrate Reformation Day!
Reformation Day is fast approaching! (October 31st) I wanted to share with you a few, easy and low-prep, ideas to help you celebrate Reformation Day and learn about this monumental moment in history with your family and friends. I have a printable Reformation Day pack at the end which includes any resources you might need!
In past years we’ve hosted Reformation Day parties or celebrated at home with our kids. Some years we recognize Reformation Day on the actual day, but there is often a lot happening right around October 31st so sometimes we pick a different day that works better for us.
What is Reformation Day and Why Celebrate it?
In 1517, Martin Luther nailed a copy of his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church. He did it on the eve of All Saints Day which we all know as “Halloween” (more on that later). Basically the 95 theses were 95 topics of dispute mainly concerning the practice of selling indulgences (there were other practices that Luther opposed as well). Indulgences were certificates sold by the Catholic Church that reduced the time in purgatory for loved ones. “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” (Johann Tetzel) Nailing the theses to the door was basically a means of inviting public debate or discussion (Similar to a Facebook post today!)
Why did Luther choose Halloween? We don’t really know but it was likely intentional. November 1 is All Saint’s (Hallows) Day in Catholicism, thus October 31st was All Hallows Eve or “Halloween”. November 2 was “All Souls Day” which had Catholics praying for the souls of their loved ones and performing meritorious deeds to try to earn salvation. Likely, Luther was targeting those high days in the church. Here is a nice article by David Mathis on the topic.
His theses (originally written in Latin) were translated into German and spread all over by the new fangled printing press (Thank you Guttenberg!) This act spurred the reformation of the church and the effects have rippled throughout history over the last half-millennia! It was a BIG deal. God used this small courageous act in massive ways to preserve and purify His church. That is why we can celebrate Reformation Day!
Ways to Celebrate Reformation Day
Whether you host a Reformation Day party to celebrate with your friends and family or simply want to teach your kids about Reformation Day with some fun activities this list (no particular order) is for you!
Sing A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
This hymn could be called the battle hymn of the Reformation. Martin Luther wrote it based on Psalm 46 and it is packed with powerful truths. You can grab a few hymnals or print off the lyrics to pass around (I have them in my printable Reformation Day pack at the end of this post!)
By Grace Alone is another really good Reformation Day hymn. The words were originally penned by Luther based on Psalm 130. The hymn was adapted and set to music by David Ward (who was my worship pastor!) You may be familiar with it.
Have a Diet of Worms and Root Beer
The Diet of Worms was not actually a feast of slimy earthworms. It was a historical event. A “diet” is a formal deliberative assembly and Worms (pronounced more like Vorms) is a city in Germany. This was an assembly called by the Holy Roman Empire in which Martin Luther was asked to recant. He uttered the famous quote, “Here I stand; I can do no other.” To celebrate, however, have a big bowl of gummy worms. Better yet, have a jar of gummy worms where people can guess how many there are. The winner gets the “Diet of Worms” or another suitable prize!
Root Beer (or Beer but I was thinking about the kids!) is the drink of choice to celebrate Reformation Day. During that time period people primarily drank fermented beverages (like beer or wine) because it was safer to drink than water. Even children drank beer. Martin Luther’s wife Katie was known for the excellent beer she brewed and Martin has several quotes attesting to the fact that he thoroughly enjoyed it.
Play “Nail the Theses to the door”
Similar to “Pin the tail on the Donkey” your kids or party guests can attempt to nail the theses! You’ll want something to serve as a blindfold, some tape, and printed copies of the theses. For the “door” you can either tape an x on a door in your house or print off a large copy of the Wittenberg Church door. I have printable copies of both in my Reformation Day pack at the end of this post to make this super easy for you!
Compete with Reformation Trivia
I’ve got you covered here with a free trivia printable in my Reformation Day pack! (Don’t worry – I have an answer sheet in there too.) I think what makes this exciting is that there be prizes! You could offer one of my book suggestions, a Luther Rose pendant, a cool Reformation Day shirt, one of these “nailed it” notepads, a diet of gummy worms in a mason jar….the possibilities are endless!
Have a Reformed Pumpkin Contest
You could carve/decorate pumpkins as a way to celebrate Reformation Day, but you might have more extravagant results if you ask guests to create a “reformed pumpkin” ahead of time. “Reformed” can mean a lot of different things. One guest even brought a pumpkin pie – it was a pumpkin that had been re-formed! Here are a couple blurry night time photos of winners in past years.
Learn about the 5 Solas
Time to learn a bit of Latin! The Reformation was a return to Biblical Christianity and the 5 Solas emerged as a way to articulate central doctrines of salvation. I have some activities to help kids learn the 5 Solas as well as a matching game in my Reformation Day pack. You can get it at the end of this post! For now I’ll give you a brief summary of the 5 Solas:
Sola Gratia
“Grace Alone” Salvation has nothing to do with human merit, it is a gracious gift of God.
Salvation from the judgment and condemnation of God that every human being deserves (because we are sinners) is a gift of grace from God. It has nothing to do with human merit.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
SOLA FIDE
“Faith Alone” Salvation comes to us not by our efforts but by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ; his perfect life and substitutionary atonement on the cross.
The biblical truth that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions in the world. It is not by the believer’s works or efforts but by Christ’s work on the cross that a person is saved.
Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
Romans 4:4-5 ESV
SOLUS CHRISTUS
“Christ Alone” Salvation comes only through Jesus Christ. No human can forgive sins.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
SOLA SCRIPTURA
“Scripture Alone” The Word of God is found only in the 66 books of the Bible. The Bible alone is the source of truth.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV
SOLI DEO GLORIA
“To the Glory of God Alone” Because salvation is entirely a work of God and believers contribute nothing to their salvation God gets all the glory!
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV
Read books to Celebrate Reformation Day
There are so many fantastic children’s books about the reformation. You could start a family tradition and collect a new book each year for Reformation Day! In addition, educate yourself about Martin Luther! If you want to study any church history this is a great place to start. Here are just a few resources to get you started
Burn a Papal Bull
Huh? A Papal what? Basically it is an official letter or document from the Pope. “Papal” refers to the Pope and “Bull” comes from the word bulla which is the word for the wax seal authenticating the document. Luther received a Papal Bull from Pope Leo X dated June 15th of 1520. It began with the words “Exsurge Domine!” (Arise, O God!) and called for the excommunication of Martin Luther along with the burning of his books. Luther was given 60 days to recant, but instead he made a great statement by burning the canon law of the church along with a copy of the Papal Bull. This is an excellent article if you’d like to learn more.
So, you can burn a “Papal Bull” to celebrate Reformation Day! Have a bonfire. Roll up some papers and write Papal Bull on them and toss them into the fire Luther style! I have a printable fake “Papal Bull” that you can roll up for a more authentic look in my printable Reformation Day Pack at the end of this post.
Celebrate Reformation Day by Finding Martin
After the Diet of Worms, Luther was declared an outlaw and went into hiding. During his 10 months of hiding in the Wartburg Castle he translated much of the Greek New Testament into German! This made the Scriptures more accessible to the broader population. Men and women were able to study the word for themselves! I have little pictures of Martin that can be hidden in my Reformation Day Pack. Whoever finds the most Martin Luther pictures wins a prize!
Watch movies to Celebrate Reformation Day
This Playmobile stop action animation is surprisingly informative! Playmobile sadly discontinued the little Martin Luther figure (although you can still find it on Ebay for a hefty price!)
I also recommend the Torchlighters Martin Luther film. Sometimes you can stream it on Amazon Prime but you can also find it on their website to stream for free along with all sorts of activities.
Paint or Color the Luther Rose to Celebrate Reformation Day
Martin Luther created a symbol or seal that summarized his theology. He included this seal in the title pages of his books and it has become an enduring symbol of the Reformation. If you grew up Lutheran you are certainly familiar with it!
You could print off a copy and have kids color or paint the seal. Or, you could have them draw their own by starting with the heart and cross in the center. I have a printable coloring sheet and Luther’s explanation in my Reformation Day Pack!
Here is how Luther himself explained its meaning:
First, there is a black cross in a heart that remains its natural color. This is to remind me that it is faith in the Crucified One that saves us. Anyone who believes from the heart will be justified (Romans 10:10). It is a black cross, which mortifies and causes pain, but it leaves the heart its natural color. It doesn’t destroy nature, that is to say, it does not kill us but keeps us alive, for the just shall live by faith in the Crucified One (Romans 1:17). The heart should stand in the middle of a white rose. This is to show that faith gives joy, comfort, and peace—it puts the believer into a white, joyous rose. Faith does not give peace and joy like the world gives (John 14:27). This is why the rose must be white, not red. White is the color of the spirits and angels (cf. Matthew 28:3; John 20:12). This rose should stand in a sky-blue field, symbolizing that a joyful spirit and faith is a beginning of heavenly, future joy, which begins now, but is grasped in hope, not yet fully revealed. Around the field of blue is a golden ring to symbolize that blessedness in heaven lasts forever and has no end. Heavenly blessedness is exquisite, beyond all joy and better than any possessions, just as gold is the most valuable and precious metal.
From a Letter from Martin Luther to Lazarus Spengler, July 8, 1530
And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the FREE REFORMATION DAY PACK! All the goodies!
Conclusion
I hope all this inspires you to acknowledge and celebrate Reformation Day with your kids or with a group of friends. Embrace your inner history geek. You and I have so many blessings distilled down to us from the Reformation. Lets celebrate Bibles we can read, hymns that inspire us, and most importantly a clear understanding of the gospel that we are saved by grace, through faith in Jesus, for God’s glory!
Let me know in the comments how your Reformation Day celebrations go! Also, know that as an Amazon Affiliate I can earn a tiny commission if you make a purchase after clicking a link in this post…so go ahead and gather some prizes for your Reformation Day party!
Love all these ideas, especially the book suggestions. A friend of mine was just mentioning to me that she wanted to put together a Reformation Day party. I’ll definitely pass this post on to her. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! I hope these ideas are helpful to your friend!
Nailed it! Sorry, Christian dad joke, I’ll see myself out
Christian dad jokes are welcome here!
When we lived in Germany we went to Wittenberg! The history is so cool. I never thought about celebrating Reformation Day on October 31 but we will definitely be incorporating this into our homeschool curriculum this year!
So neat! I would love to travel to Germany someday. I hope you have a blast celebrating this year!
The reformation day pack was great! I just did it today with the kids and I loved all your thoughtful ideas. Very fun!
Thanks Mindy! I am glad you and your kids enjoyed them.