“Reforming” Our Approach to October 31 as Christian Schools

How should a Christian school handle October 31, or, more specifically, the fact that Halloween falls on this date each year? Should parties be allowed? Should the day be ignored? Instead of wrestling with these questions and others, perhaps Christian schools should focus on highlighting a different and more important connection to October 31: Reformation Day!

Students can be instructed and reminded about the importance of this historical event each year through a Reformation Day celebration.

Celebrating Reformation Day is a great way to help kids recognize that “holy days” (holidays) have significant meaning based in history. On this day in 1517, Martin Luther, a German monk and theologian, boldly nailed the 95 Theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg. His writings challenged the corruption of the Catholic Church, reminding the world that salvation is not earned or purchased—it is a free gift of God’s grace received through faith in Christ alone. This act helped to spark the Protestant Reformation, a movement that pointed people back to the truth of Scripture and the glory of God. Students can be instructed and reminded about the importance of this historical event each year through a Reformation Day celebration.

A Reformation Day celebration is something any Christian school can incorporate. Games, activities, snacks, and much more can all be themed to spotlight an aspect of Luther’s 95 Theses being nailed to the door. Here are examples from two Christian school educators who celebrate Reformation Day at their Christian school.

This example targets students in grades 6–12:

While dressed as Martin Luther, I spend All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween, of course), the day before All Saints’ Day, greeting kids with “Happy Reformation Day!” and feigning surprise at references to Halloween. I stand in the car line welcoming in kids and going around the lunchroom with my 95 Theses, inviting kids to my disputation with Johann Eck.

During our chapel time, we have someone interview Martin Luther, focusing on his core actions and beliefs. If you try this, questions should center on his confrontation with the Catholic Church, the 95 Theses, the role of indulgences, and the role of faith alone and Sola Scriptura in the Reformation, as well as the impact of the printing press on his work. Questions could also direct attention to what motivated him to challenge the church, what he found most challenging during the Reformation, how he viewed the role of the church in society, and how he personally viewed the printing press and its effects. For a little human interest, you could ask questions about his relationship with his father or how he met his wife, Katie von Bora. Then we open it up to students for questions.

And this example is more appropriate for elementary students:

Each morning, our K–12 students gather for Morning Meeting with announcements, Scripture reading, pledges, singing, and prayer. On October 31, we welcome a special guest who shares about Martin Luther and the Reformation—often dressed in costume! This speaker also visits classrooms to teach the children the five solas: Scripture alone, Christ alone, faith alone, grace alone, and to the glory of God alone.

K–2 students rotate through fun, meaningful stations:

• Crafting stained glass windows with tissue paper
• Enjoying a German snack of pretzels or a stick pretzel with a marshmallow on the end, representing the hammer used to tack the 95 Theses on the door, and watching a short video on Martin Luther’s life
• Playing “Pin the Theses on the Door”

Students in grades 3–5 also enjoy fun stations themed around Reformation Day:

• Watching an informative video and making trail mix that represents the five solas
• Creating scrolls of the five solas
• Playing a relay game called “Worms,” reminding them of the Diet of Worms (1521), where Luther stood firm in his faith, declaring, “Here I stand; I can do no other.”

Through these activities, students not only learn history but also celebrate the wonderful truth that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone—to the glory of God alone!

Christian schools do not need to stress about October 31’s connection to Halloween. There is a much greater event connected with this date to celebrate: Reformation Day!

For more information on a biblical perspective on Halloween, check out this resource from Answers in Genesis.