Reformation Day Party Ideas and Resources

Reformation Day party ideas and resources to help you plan a fun and meaningful Reformation Day celebration!

October 31st is Reformation Day, which I believe is an important part of church history that our children should be familiar with.

On October 31, much of the culture will be focused on candy and things that go bump in the night. Protestants, however, have something far more significant to celebrate on October 31. It’s Reformation day, which commemorates what was perhaps the greatest move of God’s Spirit since the days of the Apostles. But what is the significance of Reformation Day, and how should we consider the events it commemorates?

At the time, few would have suspected that the sound of a hammer striking the castle church door in Wittenberg, Germany, would soon be heard around the world and lead ultimately to the greatest transformation of Western society since the apostles first preached the Gospel throughout the Roman empire. Martin Luther’s nailing of his ninety-five theses to the church door on October 31, 1517, provoked a debate that culminated finally in what we now call the Protestant Reformation. Ligonier Ministries

What is Reformation Day?

I love this description from Ligonier Ministries:

What is Reformation Day? It is the day the light of the gospel broke forth out of darkness. It was the day that began the Protestant Reformation. It was a day that led to Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, and may other Reformers helping the church find its way back to God’s Word as the only authority for faith and life and leading the church back to the glorious doctrines of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. It kindled the fires of missionary endeavors, it led to hymn writing and congregational singing, and it led to the centrality of the sermon and preaching for the people of God. It is the celebration of a theological, ecclesiastical, and cultural transformation.

So we celebrate Reformation Day. This day reminds us to be thankful for our past and to the Monk turned Reformer. What’s more, this day reminds us of our duty, our obligation, to keep the light of the gospel at the center of all we do.

I think these are great reasons to celebrate Reformation Day!

Reformation Day Party Ideas

Whether you celebrate Reformation Day with just your family or you invite friends over, here are some ideas to help make your Reformation Day party memorable.

Reformation Day Activities

Here are some of the activities we’ve got planned for our upcoming celebration.

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1. Read Reformation Day Books

Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World

Reformation Heroes

Reformation ABCs

Did Martin Luther Go on a Diet of Worms?

Martin Luther: What Should I Do?

The Life of Martin Luther: A Pop-Up Book

Martin Luther: Christian Biographies for  Young Readers

2. Sing Martin Luther’s Famous Hymn

Sing A Mighty Fortress is Our God

We also like to read the hymn story from Then Sings My Soul.

Here’s a printable of the music.

3. Dress Up Ideas

Our family loves any excuse to dress up! Here are a few of our favorite costume ideas.

Reformation Day Costumes:

We purchased this lace-up dress for an event several years ago (pictured in the photo above), and my youngest daughter will be wearing it this year.

My youngest son has this Medieval king costume (pictured below) that he received for his birthday a couple years ago. It still fits, so he’s going to wear it this year.

My brother wore this Medieval monk costume a couple years ago, and it’s perfect for a Martin Luther costume!

I would love to have one of these dresses to wear, but it’s not in the budget this year, so I’m planning to make myself a simple skirt from this pattern:

We’re also making a veil for my youngest daughter using the instructions in this pattern. I’ve got a purchased top that I’m planning to wear with my handmade skirt.

This pattern would be perfect for a men’s costume. If only I had more time to sew this up for my husband!

4. Free Reformation Day Printables

There are quite a few Reformation Day/Martin Luther-themed free printables online. Here are a few we’re using this year.

Five Solas Coloring Page Printable (shown above) Read about the “five solas” here.

Martin Luther’s Rose Seal coloring page (read about the meaning here)

Printable 95 Theses and 5 Solas Printables found in this post.  Note: I did have to change the “c” on the “grace alone” page to a “t,” since it’s supposed to be “sola gratia” and the printable says “sola gracia.” This was a simple fix with a black calligraphy marker that I already had on hand, and you can’t even tell that it was altered!

5. Make Some Delicious Food!

No celebration would be complete without special food, and we’ve got some fun recipes planned for this year’s Reformation Day party!

Reformation Day Food

We’re planning to make a “Diet of Worms” cake using a Trim Healthy Mama chocolate cake recipe (just to have something a little bit healthier!), and then we’ll add the gummy worms to the top.

And we’ll make the marshmallow hammers found in this post.

We’re also planning to make these cute Hershey’s Bible treats.

6. Watch a Movie

If you have younger children, this classic about Martin Luther is a good one:

The more-modern Luther movie is well-done but a bit intense for younger children:

I hope this gives you some helpful ideas for planning your own Reformation Day party!

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