The Rochester Church celebrates Reformation Day each year on October 31st with a fun party for all ages. Instead of trying to find an acceptable way of celebrating a day dedicated to death and ghosts and demons, they have gone in another direction altogether.
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses onto the church door at Wittenberg, Germany. He did this to spark debate and reform, but really lit the fires of the Reformation across Europe.
It all started for the Rochester Church in 2022, when Stephanie McNeilus started searching online. She didn’t want to celebrate death with her children, but neither did she want to hide away and avoid people on the day many people celebrate Halloween. She found a Christian mom’s blog about how to celebrate Reformation Day with a party, including directions and activities.
The first year, she held a party for her children and some other family members as a test run. For the last three Octobers, the party has been held at the church and all children and families are invited. Attendance has increased with each year.
So far, the evening begins with a potluck supper, usually with a fall theme – like soup and sandwiches. Then all are invited to participate in some Reformation activities. These have included nailing a copy of the 95 Theses to a large wooden door, a tossing game with the papal bull, a gummy worm game (for the Diet of Worms), and Waldensian game tried this year. We end the evening by watching a kid’s movie about Martin Luther.
“I’m committed to doing this on Halloween night, no matter what day it is,” she says. When it occurs on a school night, Stephanie and the other leaders keep the event short so children can get to bed at a decent time. “There is so much that even adults don’t know [about the Reformation]. And we can have fun with it!”
Sarah Little is a member of the Rochester Church in Minnesota.
