Holidays and Ceremonies

Unitarian Universalists honor and celebrate a wide range of holidays and occasions over the course of a year. Unlike other faith traditions that use a single lectionary (a collection of scripture readings appointed for a given day or occasion), the topics and themes for Unitarian Universalist worship services are usually chosen independently by worship leaders in congregations. These include unique UU traditions, like the Flower Ceremony, as well as holidays from other faith traditions, such as Christmas or Beltane.

View and download the 2023-24 UUA Worship Calendar (PDF), which includes faith-based and secular holidays that UU congregations often celebrate. The calendar also includes monthly worship themes used in popular theme-based ministry programs. To download or print, follow the link and use the File menu, then select the Landscape layout option.

Search Words for Worship Services

Displaying 1 - 10 of 1687 (items for multiple occasions are listed more than once).

Advent

Affirmation

  • Now the Work of Christmas Begins (WorshipWeb)
    By Howard Thurman
    Tagged as: Community, Hope, Justice, Peace, Purpose, Redemption, Service, Work
  • You Are the Holiday Miracle (WorshipWeb)
    By Gwen Matthews
    Tagged as: Christianity, Earth-Centered, Hope, Judaism, Love, Mystery, Paganism, Reverence, Tradition, Winter

Chalice Lighting

Homily

  • More Than a Bike (WorshipWeb)
    By Megan Foley
    Tagged as: Abundance, Belief, Children, Direct Experience, Discernment, Generosity, Humanism, Listening, Meaning, Secular, WorshipWeb, Worship

Image

  • December 1 (WorshipWeb)
    By Ralph Yeager Roberts
    Tagged as: Christianity, Unitarianism, Winter
  • December 10 (WorshipWeb)
    By Ralph Yeager Roberts
    Tagged as: America, Arts & Music, History, Secular, Unitarianism, Winter
  • December 11 (WorshipWeb)
    By Ralph Yeager Roberts
    Tagged as: America, Arts & Music, History, Redemption
  • December 12 (WorshipWeb)
    By Ralph Yeager Roberts
    Tagged as: America, Arts & Music, Healing, Health, International, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Secular, Universalism, Winter
  • December 13 (WorshipWeb)
    By Ralph Yeager Roberts
    Tagged as: America, Arts & Music, History, Secular
An unlit chalice on a church altar
LEADER RESOURCE 2 Rituals to Welcome a New Child
a medieval window from the Burrell Collection in Glasgow, Scotland, depicting the Nativity
Islamic prayer beads or Subha inside the Süleymaniye Moque (Istanbul).
An altar filled with candles, photos, and flowers