Everything about Reformation Day totally explained
Reformation Day is a religious holiday celebrated on
October 31 in remembrance of the
Reformation, particularly by
Lutheran and some
Reformed church communities. It is a
civic holiday in
Slovenia (since the Reformation contributed to its cultural development profoundly, although Slovenians are mainly
Roman Catholics) and in the
German states of
Brandenburg,
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,
Saxony,
Saxony-Anhalt, and
Thuringia.
History
On this day in
1517,
Martin Luther posted a proposal at the doors of a church in
Wittenberg,
Germany to debate the doctrine and practice of
indulgences. This proposal is popularly known as the
95 Theses, which he nailed to the Castle Church doors. This wasn't an act of defiance or provocation as is sometimes thought. Since the Castle Church faced Wittenberg's main thoroughfare, the church door functioned as a public bulletin board and was therefore the logical place for posting important notices. Also, the theses were written in Latin, the language of the church, and not in the vernacular. Nonetheless, the event created a controversy between Luther and those allied with the Pope over a variety of doctrines and practices. When Luther and his supporters were
excommunicated in 1520, the Lutheran tradition was born. This in turn would later ease the creation of the
Reformed and
Anabaptist traditions as well.
Lutheran church
Within the
Lutheran church, Reformation Day is considered a minor festival, and is officially referred to as
The Festival of the Reformation. Until the 20th Century, most Lutheran churches celebrated Reformation Day on October 31st, regardless of which day of the week it occurred. Today, most Lutheran churches transfer the festival, so that it falls on the Sunday (called
Reformation Sunday) on or before October 31st and transfer
All Saints' Day to the Sunday on or after November 1st.
The liturgical color of the day is red, which represents the Holy Spirit and the Martyrs of the Christian Church. Luther's hymn,
A Mighty Fortress is our God is traditionally sung on this day. Lutherans customarily stand during the hymn, in memory of its use in the religious wars of the Sixteenth Century. It is also traditional in some Lutheran schools for schoolchildren to hold Reformation Day plays or pageants that re-enact scenes from the life of Martin Luther. Reformation Day also coincides with
Halloween, but there's no direct relation between the two holidays.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Reformation Day'.
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