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An unlit chalice on a church altar

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.

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

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  • At a Pride celebration, people in various rainbow clothing joyfully gather while a few people splash through a public fountain.
    love is your song and you are fully loved in turn
    Blessing | By Sam Allen | October 10, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Acceptance, Activism, Imagination, Inclusion, Justice, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Living Our Faith, Violence, Worship
  • A silver menorah, against a dark background, holds colored candles. The first three candles and the shamash candle are lit.
    Thoughtful commentary and context for how to light a menorah responsibly and respectfully.
    Video | By Joanna Lubkin | October 10, 2023 | From WorshipLab
    Tagged as: Hanukkah, Judaism, Worship
  • A Black woman in athletic clothing is in child's pose on a yoga mat: arms stretched forward, head bowing, kneeling back towards her heels.
    Spirit and Breath, create an openness that violence has constricted.
    Reflection | By Melissa Jeter | October 4, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: #BlackLivesMatter, Anger, Body, Earth, Healing, Race/Ethnicity, Self-Care, Self-Respect, Worship
  • A woman sitting on a large tree branch, with the tree around her, holds her hands to her heart with closed eyes, as if meditating.
    Our bodies are so wise, and they hold so much information.
    Reflection | By Julica Hermann de la Fuente | September 27, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Body, Discernment, Wisdom, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    You can’t be a Unitarian Universalist and believe anything you want.
    Reading | By Alex Jensen | September 20, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Character, Identity, Integrity, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    Miles away in a different life...
    Poetry | By Sharon Scholl | September 20, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Grief, Home, Worship
  • From the ground level, the camera points up at a tree canopy beneath a blue sky.
    Is it not a marvel?
    Poetry | By Jennifer Pratt-Walter | September 20, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Animals, Awe, Body, Earth, Earth Day, Nature, Wonder
  • A close-up of bright pink peacock flower buds, with a couple of flowers opening.
    I am singing/of the wonder of how roots/so love the buds they bid them grow...
    Poetry | By Jennifer Pratt-Walter | September 20, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Beauty, Earth, Earth-Centered, Flower Communion, Nature, Worship
  • From above, the back of a person's head as they sit in meditation and use a Tibetan singing bowl.
    I have struggled forgiving myself for not knowing how to create appropriate boundaries.
    Reflection | By Lynette Yetter | September 20, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Acceptance, Buddhism, Compassion, Forgiveness, Journey, Relationships, Spiritual Practice, Worship
  • A dark hand tattooed with "love" and "hope" holding a smaller, lighter hand with a small bracelet with a heart charm.
    Love holds all of you.
    Benediction | By Carrie Holley-Hurt | September 15, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Immanence, Love, Transcendence
  • Seven leaves, all of the same variety but in a range of colors from green to gold to red, are strung on a line to represent a continuum.
    May we each find the balance point we need
    Closing | By Michelle Collins | September 15, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Beginnings, Change, Ending, Life Transition, Limitations, Transformation, Worship
  • 14 hands in a circle, each touching the rim of a chalice
    Based on the theology of Creative Interchange, this training is for teams who have the honor of co-creating meaning while shaping the worship experience of the congregation.
    Training | By Erika Hewitt | September 13, 2023 | From LeaderLab
    Tagged as: Worship Tips
  • An elderly person with short curly white hair adjusts their glasses so they can wipe away tears with a tissue.
    May you be tender and gentle with yourself
    Prayer | By Katie Sivani Gelfand | September 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Brokenness, Disaster or Crisis, Grief, Love, Self-Care, Self-Respect, Stress, Transformation, Worship
  • A colorful, simple painting of two people's heads facing one another, with brighly colored sparks or energy radiating off of them.
    May we remember to slow down when we find ourselves having difficult conversations.
    Reflection | By Tania Y Márquez | September 13, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Conflict, Relationships, Worship
  • In a spring garden, dark purple peony shoots rise from a flower bed while a person in gardening gloves works.
    Self-compassion was one of the best gifts I gave myself.
    Reflection | By DanaLee Simon | September 6, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Acceptance, Change, Earth, Healing, Nature, Patience, Personal Stories, Self-Respect, Stewardship, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    In our lived lives, family comes in different shapes and sizes and constellations.It is in this variety—this diversity—that our lives are made fuller and our individual selves made more whole. It is in this variety, it is in this diversity, that we look back to the ancestors, recognizing no...
    Reading | By Karen G. Johnston | August 17, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Family, Generations, Integrity, Love, Memorial Services, Truth, Worship
  • A full range of dolls from the Toy Story movie series is arranged on a porch, backs to the viewer, watching a small child wearing a backpack leave the house
    By giving your church home here a chance to bless your school supplies, you're carrying their good intentions with you when you go to school.
    Blessing | By Tiffany Fae Anderson | August 4, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Backpack Blessing, Worship
  • A person with dark skin holds and strums an acoustic guitar that's resting on their knee. There's a small, red UUA chalice in the corner and the words SING OUT LOVE and UUA.org/virtual-hymnal
    Subscribe today, or view our guided tour!
    August 2, 2023 | From WorshipLab
    Tagged as: Worship Tips
  • Seen from slightly behind, a person with long hair gestures with their hands while talking.
    May we view each other as partners, comrades, friends on the journey
    Prayer | By Christin Green | August 1, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Business Meetings, Community, Living Our Faith, Purpose, Worship
  • From the back, a Black woman wearing a hat and a small Black child are seated in a church pew.
    God, Your creation is not yet done creating you.
    Opening | By Gretchen Haley | July 24, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: God, Goddess, Imagination, Immanence, Playfulness