Halloween or Reformation Day, Traditions matter.
Reformation Day and why we celebrate from now on!
Reformation day is a better way to spend Halloween. Although both land on the 31st of October, their celebrations celebrate two different and opposing views.
Reformation Day and Halloween are both celebrated on the 31st of October, but their meanings are vastly different. While Halloween is often associated with spooky costumes, trick-or-treating, and horror movies, Reformation Day is a day to commemorate the Protestant Reformation.
Reformation Day marks the anniversary of Martin Luther's nailing of his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle church in 1517. This event is recognized as the starting point of the Protestant Reformation, which sought to reform the Catholic Church and its practices. The day is typically celebrated with church services and religious events.
On the other hand, Halloween has its roots in pagan traditions, and it has evolved into a secular holiday that is associated with scary costumes, decorations, and candy. While some people enjoy the fun and excitement of Halloween, others view it as a holiday that promotes negative values and encourages people to embrace a dark and morbid worldview.
Ultimately, the decision to celebrate Reformation Day or Halloween is a personal one, and it depends on each individual's beliefs and values. However, for those who want to celebrate a holiday with a positive message that emphasizes the importance of faith and spiritual growth, Reformation Day is an excellent alternative to Halloween.
Could you invite friends and family to join in the festivities? The Reformation was a significant event in Christian history that led to the establishment of Protestantism. The movement was sparked by Martin Luther's Ninety Five Theses, which called for re-evaluating the Catholic Church's practices. The Reformation marked a turning point in Christianity, as it challenged the authority of the Catholic Church and paved the way for the development of new denominations and theological ideas. The “Pay to Play” practices of the Catholic church began to be rejected, and people started to revolt against this unfair part of their faith.
Celebrating the Reformation can be a fun and meaningful way to teach children about this important historical period. By dressing up like Martin Luther or other historical figures, children can learn about the time period and engage with the material in a way that is both entertaining and informative. Additionally, recreating dishes from the era can give children a sense of what life was like during the Reformation and help them appreciate the historical context.
While celebrating the Reformation can be a fun experience, it's also important to remember the event's significance. By commemorating this event, we can honor those who fought for religious freedom and celebrate the diversity of the Christian faith.
For our family, we enjoy celebrating the Reformation because we can feast, have fun and celebrate the turning away from cultural practices of the time that had nothing to do with God’s love and salvation. We can observe the reformation by pretending to write Theses that establish our family or even silly ideas like creating documents like The Great Candy Reformation of 2023 and posting them for all to see! “I hereby declare that candy shall be eaten throughout the land!” Dressing up is always fun to do, so why limit it to spooky costumes? By standing for our faith, we don’t have to compromise our values to have fun!
Here are some ideas:
Our family loves to celebrate the Reformation with a bang! We get to chow down, make merry and give a nod to the past when cultural practices were far from God's love and salvation. Want to know how we get the party started? We fake like we're 16th-century scholars writing theses - except we're scribbling down family ideas and hilarious declarations like "All shall henceforth indulge in candy!" We then flaunt them for the world to see! But wait, there's more! Dressing up is always a hoot, right? So, we don't just limit it to Halloween costumes. By standing firm in our faith, we can have a blast without compromising our values. Who's ready to party like it's 1517?
Have a German smorgasbord! Make some Luther bread, Luther cake and Luther cookies. Recipes can be found here.
Create some fun crafts.
http://www.theholidayzone.com/reformation/art.html
Play pin the beard on Martin Luther!
Leave the horror and binge on History!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=tox2TflUH90&fbclid=IwAR1X5nCljkJkB0iJqUvadGK6Y6Ujj5-UT6O9KqfvSHkmVrr4LqIDpF0vZYE&app=desktop
