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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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  • Roughly 100 white and reddish-brown mushrooms growing on a decaying tree trunk. Most are seen from above, emphasizing their round caps.
    It takes courage to bring our trust forward and invite another person to meet us there. This sometimes sure, often shaky, surrender is an opportunity to discover something deeper than the confines of our individual experience.
    Reading | By Adaku Utah | January 21, 2024 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Compassion, Earth, Earth Day, Earth-Centered, Freedom, Growth, Interdependence, Nature, Relationships, Trust, Worship
  • One person sitting in a wheelchair holds hands with a friend. Only their arms and laps are visible, making their gentle touch the focus of the photo.
    Death is a regular part of my job, which makes small talk weird for me at parties.
    Reflection | By Sarah Gillespie | January 17, 2024 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Death, Direct Experience, Friendship, Grief, Humanism, Ministry, Presence, Worship
  • Vanessa, a Black person with her hair in a ponytail, stands between church members with signs. Vanessa is wearing a mask and clergy collar, and is holding her hand in the "peace" sign.
    Just as I can believe in others, I also believe in me.
    Reflection | By Vanessa Titang | January 10, 2024 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Activism, Direct Experience, Discernment, Doubt, Humanism, Identity, Leadership, Ministry, Self-Respect, Worship
  • Our planet appears suspended in space, lit by a blue halo.
    New ideas for connecting our theology to meaningful, sensory-rich worship.
    January 3, 2024 | From WorshipLab
    Tagged as: Climate Justice, Earth Day, Worship
  • A table full of friends raises their glasses--colored glass goblets--in the air outdoors.
    What “toast, boast, and oath” might you offer this January?
    Reflection | By Sarah Klinger Osborne | January 3, 2024 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Beginnings, Choice, Contemplation, Integrity, New Year, Searching, Self-Care, Self-Respect, Worship
  • A light-skinned Black person's arms cradle a tiny infant whose bare foot soles face the camera.
    Fear not, the angels would text me. Hallelujah, I’d write back.
    Reflection | By Marcus Liefert | December 20, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Advent, Awe, Children, Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Direct Experience, Family, Hope, Parents, Wonder, Worship
  • Black and white photo of two children walking away from the viewer on a straight dirt path, with brush and trees on either side. The taller child's arm is around the smaller child's shoulder. The smaller child is wearing a knit sweater and a striped knit hat with a pompom.
    The journey toward inner truth is too taxing to be made solo.
    Reading | By Parker J. Palmer | December 14, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Contemplation, Discernment, Journey, Searching, Truth, Worship
  • A lighted candle with three wicks on a dimly-lit table with greenery.
    We pause on this night of mystery, to tell the stories, to sing the songs, and to bring more light into the world.
    Chalice Lighting | By Linda Hart | December 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Christmas Eve / Christmas, Mystery, Peace, Personal Stories, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule, Worship
  • A stone church stands silhouetted against a night sky in which the Milky Way is visible.
    Pause here, and be renewed and restored.
    Opening | By Linda Hart | December 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Journey, Self-Care, Worship
  • A tea light glows in a hollow in a fallen log, surrounded by moss that has been dusted lightly with snow.
    We light this chalice, here in the darkness of winter as we wait.
    Chalice Lighting | By JeKaren Olaoya | December 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Earth, Earth-Centered, Nature, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule, Worship
  • A collection of loose pieces of moveable type, in many shapes and sizes and from many different fonts.
    We light this chalice, so that by its light we may read ALL the books…
    Chalice Lighting | By Julie Conrady | December 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Anti-Oppression, Arts & Music, Democracy, Freedom, Human Rights, Humanism, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • Water drips from a melting clump of ice on a small fir branch. The background is a blurry field of grey with a hint of green, possibly other trees.
    Turn toward the thaw, and turn toward the rebirth of spring with New Hope.
    Prayer | By Christin Green | December 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Body, Despair, Gratitude, Hope, Love, Worry, Worship
  • A mountain range is silhouetted by the orange dawn behind it. Most of the sky is still dark, and time-lapse trails of the paths of the stars show the spinning of the Earth.
    The fulcrum of the Earth tilts toward goodness and I will ride along…
    Reading | By Jennifer Pratt-Walter | December 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Balance, Beauty, Earth, Earth-Centered, Good, Nature, Transcendence, Winter Solstice / Yule, Worship
  • A bonfire sends sparks flying upwards, against a pitch black background.
    Holy flame of times past, brighten this present moment…
    Chalice Lighting | By Tracy Johnson | December 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Courage, Freedom, Generations, Reason, Worship
  • An abstract image of swirling colors ranging from yellow to orange, reminiscent of fire.
    Illuminate our hearts and the spaces between them in this Sacred Time of unfolding.
    Chalice Lighting | By Tracy Johnson | December 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Love, Wisdom, Wonder, Worship
  • Through a thick forest, a reindeer peeks out at the camera
    Spirits of winter, I celebrate you!
    Reflection | By Erica Shadowsong | December 13, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Animals, Earth-Centered, Generations, Goddess, Imagination, Spiritual Practice, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule, Worship
  • A woman waves a progress pride flag (a rainbow flag with additional concentric triangles in white, pink, blue, brown, and black) while standing near the top of a statue of the Three Graces in Montpellier, France. A second person, wrapped in a pride flag, stands nearby on the statue.
    May this flag inspire us to live with pride, to embrace our truths, and to unite in the face of adversity.
    Blessing | By Michelle Collins | December 12, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #LGBTQ, #LoveResists, #Pride, Anti-Oppression, Commitment, Equity, Gender, Identity, Justice, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Love, Relationships, Solidarity, Worship
  • Silhouette of a hand reaching for a doorknob. The door key is still in the lock, and other keys dangle from the ring. Metal hardware gleams on the edge of the door.
    We call for the freedom and the right for all stories to be freely shared.
    Blessing | By Michelle Collins | December 12, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Anti-Oppression, Arts & Music, Democracy, Freedom, Human Rights, Worship
  • Black and white photo of the face of an older white woman, who looks like she is suppressing a smile.
    We are the recipients of an incredible gift and a beautiful vision.
    Offering | By Alice Anacheka-Nasemann | December 12, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: All Souls Day, Building/Space Dedication, Canvass/Pledge, Commitment, Generations, Gratitude, History, Homecoming / Ingathering, Humanism, Leadership, New Member Ceremony, Samhain, Vision, Worship
  • A Black man's hand is holding a mirror, in which we see a partial reflection of his face. Our point of view is from over his shoulder, so in the foreground we see a slightly out-of-focus portion of the back of his head.
    In this heartbreak what we carry forth is our humanity in newly revealed form—our hearts tender and delicate.
    Prayer | By Vanessa Titang | December 12, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Brokenness, Community, Compassion, Disaster or Crisis, Grief, Healing, Trauma, Worship