Reformation Costumes and Activities
From the Mustard Seeds Archives:
Costumes:
Dressing in costumes is a major part of celebrating Reformation Day. Renaissance/Medieval costumes. Think: princesses, knights (think armor of God), Robin Hood, maidens, etc. I saw a knights kit at Target (in the toy section) for $12. And with all the Halloween costumes in stores, you should be able to find a costume relatively cheap and easily.
You can also go for a traditional monk costume. I made Jack's out a brown turtleneck and a piece of cording.
More on Anne's costume here...Every little girl loves dressing up like a princess and this is a perfect opportunity.
Capes are also very fun and reformation-ish. Simplicity Pattern 5927, is a very easy and simple pattern to follow. This pattern requires very little sewing when you make it with felt (what the pattern actually calls for). You pretty much cut out the cape and the hood and then just sew those two pieces together. Add some ribbons ties and you are done. Plus, with felt recently on sale at Joann's these cost only about $8-9 to make (including ribbon). I altered it a bit for Anne's version (above) to include a lining and the strap and vintage button across the top. I used red velour for hers. Note: Red is the liturgical color of Reformation Day.
And, here I am in full garb with Anne (a Reformation princess) and Jack (Martin Luther).
Decorations and Hammers
Red is the color of Reformation Day (representing the Holy Spirit and also martyrs of the Christian Church). I set the coffee table up with red linens and Anne's little red chairs. Matt helped me make these little wooden hammers, which the girls used to "hammer" on the doors around the house (just as Luther nailed the 95 thesis on the church door). The also used them to knock on doors when we went to give/receive treats.
The girls made stained glass windows, like those that had to be replaced after riots and fighting broke out in Germany during this time. They also wrote with quills, as Luther did when he translated the Latin Bible to German so the common man could read it.
Transcribe the BibleIn Martin Luther's time, the Bible was only available in Latin--a language very few could read. While he was in hiding (many people wanted to kill him), he translated the Bible into German. This way, the common man would be able to personally read and reflect on God's Word, instead of relying on priests and scholars.
Have your little one "transcribe" the Bible by copying an entire page or just a chapter of the Bible in their own handwriting. Or just have them write one verse. Or, if they don't know how to write (like mine), they can just pretend to write.
To make it more fun, let them use a quill or feather. And let them use a fun color of watered-down poster paint.
Reformation Day PDFS:
A color sheet with the "Luther Rose" and a verse. The Luther Rose was an important symbol for the day because it was a seal that Martin Luther wore as a ring. The Luther Rose consists of a black cross, on a red heart. The heart is set in the middle of a white rose. The white rose is placed on a field of heavenly blue. Encircling this field is a ring of gold.
And, a printout of Reformation Facts and Activity Ideas.\
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Reformation Day
From the Mustard Seeds Archives....
Originally posted 10/14/09
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What is Reformation Day?
We celebrate Reformation Day (Oct 31). For those of you who also might like to celebrate this year, I thought I'd better post some stuff so you can plan your special day. Over the next couple of days, I'll be reposting some ideas from last year as well as some new items.
To me, Reformation Day is an opportunity to teach my kids a little church history and instill in them the message that our salvation is through faith not works. And, yes, this my attempt to create an alternative to the spooky stuff (and sometimes evil) associated with Halloween. Let me be clear: I'm not saying you're bad if you celebrate Halloween. No judgment here, my friends. This is just something we are doing for our family.
Let's start with...What is Reformation Day?
- On Oct 31, 1517, Martin Luther (then a Catholic monk) posted his 95 Theses (or statements) on the door the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. This act triggered the movement in world history known as the Reformation.
- The Reformation was the great rediscovery of the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. At that time, the Roman Catholic Church had become corrupt and was teaching false doctrines like salvation through good works. Some were selling “indulgences.” They said if you purchased these indulgences, you would gain forgiveness for sins.
- Although, Reformation Day is more commonly celebrated in the Lutheran Church, Martin Luther is a hero of faith for us, too. Protestant churches that we worship in today are the result of Luther's brave acts to restore the gospel—salvation through Jesus Christ—to its rightful place as the cornerstone doctrine of Christianity.
- The story of Martin Luther is one of courage, adventure, mystery
and triumph. There are many aspects to the story and many theological
implications. Explaining all these items can be confusing for some
younger children. To help my pre-school age children understand the
Reformation, I focused on the fact that Martin Luther helped people
realize that salvation is only through Jesus Christ:
- “For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Also, the illustrated book above is a great resource. Beautiful illustrations and it does a great job outlining the history. The text may be a little long on some pages for really tiny ones, but I just abbreviate as I read sometimes.
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Reformation Day Links
Here's a great post on At The Well that gives lots of info on Halloween/Reformation Day, including links to many resources.
More activities at this website.
Historical information here.
This book will give you info on how to plan A Night of Reformation.
Martin Luther coloring sheet.
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Reformation Day Activities
Costumes:
Dressing in costumes is a major part of celebrating Reformation Day. Renaissance/Medieval costumes. Think: princesses, knights (think armor of God), Robin Hood, maidens, etc. I saw a knights kit at Target (in the toy section) for $12. And with all the Halloween costumes in stores, you should be able to find a costume relatively cheap and easily.
You can also go for a traditional monk costume. I made Jack's out a brown turtleneck and a piece of cording.
More on Anne's costume here...Every little girl loves dressing up like a princess and this is a perfect opportunity.
Capes are also very fun and reformation-ish. Simplicity Pattern 5927, is a very easy and simple pattern to follow. This pattern requires very little sewing when you make it with felt (what the pattern actually calls for). You pretty much cut out the cape and the hood and then just sew those two pieces together. Add some ribbons ties and you are done. Plus, with felt recently on sale at Joann's these cost only about $8-9 to make (including ribbon). I altered it a bit for Anne's version (above) to include a lining and the strap and vintage button across the top. I used red velour for hers. Note: Red is the liturgical color of Reformation Day.
And, here I am in full garb with Anne (a Reformation princess) and Jack (Martin Luther).
Decorations and Hammers
Red is the color of Reformation Day (representing the Holy Spirit and also martyrs of the Christian Church). I set the coffee table up with red linens and Anne's little red chairs. Matt helped me make these little wooden hammers, which the girls used to "hammer" on the doors around the house (just as Luther nailed the 95 thesis on the church door). The also used them to knock on doors when we went to give/receive treats.
The girls made stained glass windows, like those that had to be replaced after riots and fighting broke out in Germany during this time. They also wrote with quills, as Luther did when he translated the Latin Bible to German so the common man could read it.
Transcribe the BibleIn Martin Luther's time, the Bible was only available in Latin--a language very few could read. While he was in hiding (many people wanted to kill him), he translated the Bible into German. This way, the common man would be able to personally read and reflect on God's Word, instead of relying on priests and scholars.
Have your little one "transcribe" the Bible by copying an entire page or just a chapter of the Bible in their own handwriting. Or just have them write one verse. Or, if they don't know how to write (like mine), they can just pretend to write.
To make it more fun, let them use a quill or feather. And let them use a fun color of watered-down poster paint.
Reformation Day PDFS:
A color sheet with the "Luther Rose" and a verse. The Luther Rose was an important symbol for the day because it was a seal that Martin Luther wore as a ring. The Luther Rose consists of a black cross, on a red heart. The heart is set in the middle of a white rose. The white rose is placed on a field of heavenly blue. Encircling this field is a ring of gold.
And, a printout of Reformation Facts and Activity Ideas.\
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If you are interested, you can also read my first post about celebrating Reformation Day in 2008.
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Reformation Day Info
Originally posted 10/14/09
--------------------------------------------------------
What is Reformation Day?
We celebrate Reformation Day (Oct 31). For those of you who also might like to celebrate this year, I thought I'd better post some stuff so you can plan your special day. Over the next couple of days, I'll be reposting some ideas from last year as well as some new items.
To me, Reformation Day is an opportunity to teach my kids a little church history and instill in them the message that our salvation is through faith not works. And, yes, this my attempt to create an alternative to the spooky stuff (and sometimes evil) associated with Halloween. Let me be clear: I'm not saying you're bad if you celebrate Halloween. No judgment here, my friends. This is just something we are doing for our family.
Let's start with...What is Reformation Day?
- On Oct 31, 1517, Martin Luther (then a Catholic monk) posted his 95 Theses (or statements) on the door the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. This act triggered the movement in world history known as the Reformation.
- The Reformation was the great rediscovery of the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. At that time, the Roman Catholic Church had become corrupt and was teaching false doctrines like salvation through good works. Some were selling “indulgences.” They said if you purchased these indulgences, you would gain forgiveness for sins.
- Although, Reformation Day is more commonly celebrated in the Lutheran Church, Martin Luther is a hero of faith for us, too. Protestant churches that we worship in today are the result of Luther's brave acts to restore the gospel—salvation through Jesus Christ—to its rightful place as the cornerstone doctrine of Christianity.
- The story of Martin Luther is one of courage, adventure, mystery and triumph. There are many aspects to the story and many theological implications. Explaining all these items can be confusing for some younger children. To help my pre-school age children understand the Reformation, I focused on the fact that Martin Luther helped people realize that salvation is only through Jesus Christ:
- “For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Also, the illustrated book above is a great resource. Beautiful illustrations and it does a great job outlining the history. The text may be a little long on some pages for really tiny ones, but I just abbreviate as I read sometimes.
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Little Reformers
On Tuesday, we celebrated Reformation Day. (Snow delays, you know). Here are the Little Reformers.
And, here I am in full garb with Anne (a Reformation princess) and Jack (Martin Luther).
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Reformation Day is upon us!
Well, we were planning on celebrating Reformation Day today with a few other families, but the snow day "bumped" our plans. Instead, I think we are moving the activities to early next week (some of us will be gone over the weekend).
But, YOU can celebrate Reformation Day this weekend. And I would LOVE to hear about it and see pictures. If you do any type of Reformation Day activity, please send me an email ([email protected]) and attach a picture. I'll do a post next week with everyone's pictures. Please Note: If you do not want your picture posted online, please say so in the email, otherwise, I'll assume you're giving permission to post. Be sure to include if you have a blog, so I can link you.
In the meantime, I've got two more PDFs for you:
A color sheet with the "Luther Rose" and a verse. The Luther Rose was an important symbol for the day because it was a seal that Martin Luther wore as a ring. The Luther Rose consists of a black cross, on a red heart. The heart is set in the middle of a white rose. The white rose is placed on a field of heavenly blue. Encircling this field is a ring of gold.
And, a printout of Reformation Facts and Activity Ideas.
Can't wait to hear your Reformation reports....
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Translating the Bible
In Martin Luther's time, the Bible was only available in Latin--a language very few could read. While he was in hiding (many people wanted to kill him), he translated the Bible into German. This way, the common man would be able to personally read and reflect on God's Word, instead of relying on priests and scholars.
Have your little one "transcribe" the Bible by copying an entire page or just a chapter of the Bible in their own handwriting. Or just have them write one verse. Or, if they don't know how to write (like mine), they can just pretend to write.
To make it more fun, let them use a quill or feather. And let them use a fun color of watered-down poster paint.
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Someone is knocking on my door
Last year, we didn't go trick or treating, but we did knock on some doors. We took the kids to the homes of a few friends and family. They used some homemade wooden hammers(that my hubs helped me make)it and knocked on the doors saying, "Happy Reformation Day!"
Martin Luther used a wooden hammer or mallet to nail his 95 Theses (or statements) on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. While it may seem weird to hammer something to a church door, it wasn't actually uncommon. The church door served as a bulletin board of sorts. These statements outlined his disagreement with the teachings of the church at that time--namely that salvation was being "sold." Luther emphasized that salvation was through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
So we gave each little one their own hammer to run around banging on doors. It was a huge hit. When friends opened the doors, we gave them these little cards, which the kids colored earlier in the day. On the back of the cards are a few facts about Reformation Day. And, of course in exchange the kiddos got some sweet treats. Here's the PDF for the cards so you can print out (back to back) and make some of your own.
To make your own wooden hammers, simple drill a hole in a wooden block and fit a wooden dowel into the space. I also used some wood glue so it would hold up through some major hammering.
You can also purchase one here.
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