Reformation Day

Origin and history

Reformation Day remembers 31 October 1517, the date on which, according to Philip Melanchthon, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, in Saxony. Melanchthon appears to be the only source for the nailing itself, but it is certain that on that day Luther sent his theses to Albert of Brandenburg, Archbishop of Mainz. The date is now regarded as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

Customs

• Church services, especially in Lutheran and Reformed churches. In Leipzig, Johann Sebastian Bach wrote cantatas for the day, including one on Luther's hymn 'Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott' ('A Mighty Fortress Is Our God').
• It is an official holiday in some German states and in Slovenia and Chile.

How traditions differ

Reformation Day is a Protestant observance, kept especially by Lutheran churches. In 2017, the 500th anniversary, Lutherans and Catholics held a common commemoration of the Reformation.

In the library

Great Lives: Martin Luther · Johann Sebastian Bach

More in After Pentecost

Trinity Sunday · Corpus Christi · Nativity of St John the Baptist · Sts Peter and Paul · Michaelmas · All Hallows' Eve · All Saints' Day · All Souls' Day · St Martin's Day (Martinmas) · Christ the King