Holidays. Traditions. This season we find ourselves dusting off menorahs, pulling out grandma’s Yule Log recipe, gathering candles for the kinara, decorating with greens, and lighting our homes. Why do we do it? Because they reflect our identities: who we are culturally, religiously, and individually. We do these things because they feel grounding, connecting us with something beyond ourselves: our ancestral heritages, our chosen traditions, our most sacred values. They are familiar to us, yet every year we have the chance to know these traditions in a new way.

Every winter, our congregations welcome all for candlelit Christmas Eves, spiritual solstice celebrations, holiday pageants that engage all ages, and Sunday services that draw on themes from Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, Advent and Epiphany, Christmas, Solstice, and the New Year.

Unitarian Universalism is a place for multiplicity, honoring multiple traditions, heritages, holidays, and customs. We sing carols and listen to sublime and heartfelt music. We hear and speak words that inspire. We pray and meditate. We experience more hope and more peace, even amidst the stresses of our lives and the devastations of the world.

Find more connection and more joy for the holidays:

• In acongregation or group near you.
• Online worship and live-streamed connections with Quest for Meaning and the Church of the Larger Fellowship.
• FamilyQuest:Explore themes of hope and the holidays with your children using this engaging online resource.
• Blog post: Read how one UU family creates new traditions.
• WorshipWeb:Find readings, reflections, and stories for winter holidays.
• UUWorld Magazine’s recent stories onChristmas and Hanukkah, andWinter Solstice.