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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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  • A Latinx mother and daughter embracing while cooking in the kitchen at home
    Food carries the love, wisdom, and stories of survival of a people.
    Reflection | By Tania Y Márquez | February 8, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Family, Food, Generations, Identity, Worship
  • A child sits at a desk, reading, while in the background a teacher observes her.
    Love shows up in complicated conversations.
    Reflection | By Jo VonRue | February 1, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Children, Direct Experience, Love, Poverty, Shame, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    There's an older rhythm calling us to rest.
    Time for All Ages | By Jamila Batchelder | January 27, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Balance, Body, Contemplation, Healing, Peace, Presence, Stress, Worship
  • Interconnected Hands
    May our spirits be guided by our values.
    Prayer | By Christin Green | January 27, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: America, Caring, Democracy, Integrity, Justice, Living Our Faith, Solidarity, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • With multicolored Christmas lights in the background, a Bible is open to the Gospel of Luke
    The circle of evergreens reminds us that life and love will never end.
    Ritual | By Rosemary Morrison | January 26, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Christianity, Hope, Joy, Love, Peace, Spiritual Practice
  • From behind, four Black women stand with their arms around each other's waists
    If we believe in the promise of our faith, we must continue pushing forward.
    Reading | By Elandria Williams | January 25, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Challenge, Change, Identity, Living Our Faith, Transformation, Unitarian Universalism
  • A bright orange sun rises over a bank of clouds
    We are divine bodies of light and darkness
    Affirmation | By Elandria Williams | January 25, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Activism, Courage, Faith, Freedom, Integrity, Justice, Living Our Faith, Seven Principles, Solidarity
  • Tree branches starkly outlined against a blue and peach sky.
    We are part of the connective tissue that holds the legacy and future of our faith.
    Reading | By Elandria Williams | January 25, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Bridging, Coming-of-Age, Faith, Generations, Identity, Living Our Faith, Trauma
  • A crowd of protestors, from behind. One person holds aloft a sign, "Black Lives Matter," while in the background a Black person uses a microphone
    When you hear, “We are the liberating force, spirit, light, and love,” what does that conjure in your spirit?
    Meditation | By Elandria Williams | January 25, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Activism, Power, Solidarity, Worship
  • A small Black girl smiles, sitting at a table. Next to her, back to the camera, is a man we imagine to be her grandfather.
    Let us be grateful for the vital force that wakes us and moves us.
    Reflection | By Melissa Jeter | January 25, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: #BlackLivesMatter, America, Body, Generations, Love, Race/Ethnicity, Worship
  • The fingertips of a black person holding a small glass hourglass, whose black sand grains are trickling through.
    Life doesn't have to be ever-upward in order to be well-lived.
    Reflection | By Christine Slocum | January 18, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Balance, Contemplation, Culture, Presence, Worship
  • A pale background with pink flowers, the UUA logo, and the words "Flower Ceremony Centennial, 1923-2023"
    Celebrate 100 Years of the Flower Ceremony! The first Flower Ceremony was held in Prague, in June 2023, led by Rev. Norbert Čapek.
    Leader Resource | By Erika Hewitt | January 17, 2023 | From WorshipLab
    Tagged as: Flower Communion, Unitarianism, Worship Tips
  • A single cassette tape, black with a blank yellow label, on a white surface.
    Change can be uncomfortable. Like any time we learn a new technology, it can take a little while to adjust.
    Time for All Ages | January 12, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Challenge, Change, Faith, Identity, Living Our Faith, Seven Principles, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • A pink placard reading "Don't take away my birth control" taken at a Planned Parenthood Rally in New York City. In the background, the stonework of a courthouse is visible.
    As sacred beings, we hold the wisdom to know what is best for our own selves.
    Reflection | By Deborah Weiner | January 11, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Activism, Body, Choice, Reproductive Justice, Self-Care, Solidarity, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarianism, Women, Worship
  • A 360-degree panorama photo, taken above an outdoor field, edited into a ‘Little Planet’ style photo.
    We need places where we can come and find our grounding once again.
    Opening | By Heather Rion Starr | January 6, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Balance, Contemplation, Presence, Worship
  • The number "2023" with vintage letterpress printing blocks on rustic wooden background
    I’m proud to belong to a living religious tradition that embraces evolution, both scientifically and spiritually.
    Reflection | By Tim Atkins | January 4, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Beginnings, New Year, Spiritual Practice, Worship
  • A dark indigo sky peppered with stars
    Darkness is as important as light.
    Opening | By Jo VonRue | December 27, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Direct Experience, Imagination, Nature, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule, Wonder, Worship
  • A lit Moravian star lamp hangs in what appears to be a church, with a few lit Christmas trees blurred in the background.
    If love is a law, how may I follow it with more faithfulness?
    Reflection | By Joanna Fontaine Crawford | December 21, 2022 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Arts & Music, Christianity, Conscience, God, Justice, Worship
  • A brilliant red cardinal perches on a tree branch.
    One of the Goddess’s best friends was a cardinal—a bright red bird who loved to play with the Goddess and the Sun.
    Story | By Christina Leone Tracy | December 16, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Animals, Change, Earth, Earth-Centered, Ending, Faith, Friendship, Goddess, Imagination, Letting Go, Nature, Paganism, Winter Solstice / Yule, Worship
  • A crowd of people in México in a posada procession outdoors.
    Every time we open ourselves to one another, we become more human.
    Reflection | By Tania Y Márquez | December 14, 2022 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Children, Christianity, Community, Generations, Inclusion, International, Race/Ethnicity, Worship