This year is the Reformationsjubiläum, the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg, which was a key event for the Reformation. This day now symbolizes the beginning of the Reformation and the far-reaching effects that have reached around the globe. All year long there are activities all over the world to celebrate this anniversary, most especially in Germany.
They're celebrating the life and work of Martin Luther: the man who lived secretly under the name "Junker Jörg," gave us the word Rotzlöffel, and translated the New Testament into German.
Rotzlöffel
This descriptive insult translates literally to "snot spoon," and correctly translated, it gives us "snotty-nosed brat." How Luther helped this word get into better circulation, I have no idea, but you can find out more in Mit Feuereifer und Herzenslust from DUDEN.
Reformationsjubiläum 2017
The main website to gather information about this anniversary is Luther2017.de. Fear not--you can read the website in several different languages, simply look for the language selector on the top right next to the search box.
At Luther2017.de you'll find articles on events that have or will take place this year, background information on Luther, lists of places events will take place, and a whole host of other features of the year.
You can also use this website to help you plan a trip to Germany for the Reformationsjahr: Reformation2017.org. Search the hashtag #Reformationssommer on social media and be sure to check out the Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag website as well.
Germans get an extra holiday
How big is this anniversary? So big, the entire country gets an extra holiday this year. Der 31. Oktober ist dieses Jahr Feiertag! There are usually 11 national holidays in Germany, but this year there are 12. Glückspilze! Alle!
Warum soll ich darüber lernen?
No matter your religious background, this is an important part of German history and culture, and definitely worth 30 minutes of your time. So what are you waiting for? Los geht's!