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Reformation Day is the anniversary of the day Martin Luther is said to have posted his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517, marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
Lutherans and certain other Protestants celebrate October 31 as Reformation Day and may keep the preceding Sunday as Reformation Sunday, for which the liturgical color is red. Many churches hold special services focused on the Reformation and its effects, and some churches host family-oriented festivities as an alternative to Halloween.
Reformation Day, anniversary of the day Martin Luther is said to have posted his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany (October 31, 1517), later identified by Protestants as the beginning of the Reformation. (See Researcher’s Note: The posting of the theses.) Lutherans observe October 31 as Reformation Day and may keep the preceding Sunday as Reformation Sunday. The liturgical color is red. Many churches in the Reformed and the Evangelical traditions also mark the day, often with special services focused on the Reformation and its effects.
The European Lutheran territorial churches at first commemorated the Reformation on various days, among them the anniversary of Luther’s birth (November 10), his death (February 18), and presentation of the Augsburg Confession (June 25). The centennial celebrations of 1617 focused attention on October 31. In the sesquicentennial year (1667), Elector of Saxony John George II decreed this date as annual Reformation Day in Saxony. German Lutheran and Union territorial churches have gradually come to follow this example and specify October 31 or the Sunday following (or preceding).
Particularly in the United States, Reformation Day festivities are sometimes held as a religious alternative to Halloween, which some Christians condemn as satanic or, more mildly, potentially too frightening for children. Aimed at both parishioners and the broader community, churches may host simple to elaborate festivals or parties that can include carnival games, music, food, and face-painting. To compete with the secular holiday, most events give away candies and treats, and typically permit or even encourage non-scary costumes.
