Saturday was celebrated everywhere in Germany. Most people celebrated the American holiday Halloween on October 31, but many Germans also celebrated another holiday: Reformation Day. In some German states, Reformation Day is even a holiday when people have the day off. But what exactly is celebrated on Reformation Day?
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Reformation Day: A Holiday For All Protestants
On October 31, 1517, the monk and professor of Theology, Martin Luther, nailed his 95 theses to the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. In it were proposals for renewal and improvement of the Catholic Church and also some criticisms of the practice of the Catholic Church. For example, Luther mainly criticized the fact that one could confess one’s sins only by buying letters of indulgence from the church, so only those who paid money to the church for such a letter were forgiven their sins. Luther said that forgiveness can only come through faith in God and not through money paid to the church.
Until 500 Years Ago, There Was Only The Catholic Church
The criticism of Luther and his 95 theses caused much discussion within the church and also among the faithful. In the end, a second Christian church was born: the Evangelical Church with its followers, the Protestants. In the Protestant Church, people also believe in God and Jesus and everything that is also part of it for the Catholics, however, there are many things that the Protestants do not see as strictly as the Catholics. One example is the priesthood: A pastor of the Protestant Church, unlike his Catholic colleague, is also allowed to have a wife and children- why not? Reformation Day is celebrated as a holiday in the German states of Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg.
Explanation Of The Difficult Words:
Theology is the study of religion and faith. You can study theology even today at many universities.
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