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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 child carefully tries to remove a wooden block from a Jenga tower.
    Preparation: acquire a wooden block tower building game (similar to Jenga ©). If possible, consider getting a jumbo version of game because its size lends itself to more visibility for the congregation and more space for more kids to participate. Other supplies: signs or name tags that state...
    Time for All Ages | By Karen G. Johnston | October 17, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #8thPrinciple, Compromise, Conflict, Covenant, Relationships, Trust, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • An abstracted image of two trapeze artists doing an aerobatic act, their arms stretched out to one another as one person is suspended in air
    A worship video collection about living faithfully during in-between times
    Leader Resource | October 12, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Change, Faith, Holidays & Ceremonies, Letting Go, Ministerial Transition, Transformation, Trust, Unitarian Universalism
  • A few dog paw prints in the sand
    My vet said, “She's telling you thank you for letting her go.”
    Reflection | By Ndidi Achebe | October 12, 2022 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Animal Memorial, Animals, Death, Direct Experience, Grief, Letting Go, Love, Secular, Worship
  • A close-up of a hand holding the hand of a patient lying in a hospital bed.
    Dying is scary, but we are brave, and we can talk about it together.
    Reflection | By Meg Barnhouse | October 5, 2022 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Death, Family, Limitations, Meaning, Worship
  • A hand cupping a person's foot in the process of footwashing during a Maundy Thursday Mass.
    Let us imagine washing the feet of someone who has wronged us. Their feet, too, are calloused and muddy from the road.
    Responsive Reading | By Patty Willis | October 3, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Caring, Christianity, Compassion, Easter, Empathy, Ministry, Service, Worship
  • A vibrant colourful sunset or sunrise sky over limestone pavement landscape and a wind-bent English Hawthorn tree at Twisleton Scar, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, UK
    I wasn’t really “born this way.” I grew this way.
    Reflection | By Heather McDuffee | September 28, 2022 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: #Pride, Choice, Coming Out, Friendship, God, Identity, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Marriage, National Coming Out Day, Transformation, Trust, Worship
  • A vibrant colourful sunset or sunrise sky over limestone pavement landscape and a wind-bent English Hawthorn tree at Twisleton Scar, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, UK
    Coming out is vulnerable, intimate, and holy.
    Homily | By Heather McDuffee | September 27, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #Pride, Acceptance, Christianity, Coming Out, Courage, Direct Experience, Family, Friendship, God, Identity, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, National Coming Out Day, Transformation, Worship
  • Man in silhouette playing a shofar during sunset on Lake Erie
    Breathe in us, with us, and through us as we gather—one in community.
    Invocation | By Kristin Grassel Schmidt | September 22, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Awe, Earth-Centered, Judaism, Nature, Rosh Hashanah, Unity, Worship
  • On a rocky outcrop in what appears to be inclement weather, one person strenuously pulls another person uphill.
    We don’t need to understand why someone sets a boundary to respect it.
    Reflection | By Shaya French | September 21, 2022 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Friendship, Interdependence, Limitations, Relationships, Stewardship, Worship
  • Seen from the chest up, a side view of three generations: a Black son, father, and grandfather standing side by side.
    I rise on the shoulders of ancestors whose names I can not know.
    Reflection | By Glen Thomas Rideout | September 14, 2022 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: #8thPrinciple, #BlackHistoryMonth, #BlackLivesMatter, 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), America, Anti-Oppression, Black History / Whitney Young / James Reeb, Direct Experience, Family, Generations, History, Oppression, Race/Ethnicity, Secular, Self-Respect, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • Cropped shot of a group of businesspeople standing together and holding hands in a modern office
    It's my actions and choices that determine my connection to others.
    Reflection | By Priscilla Shumway | September 7, 2022 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Spiritual Practice, Worship
  • Inside a church, Black people stand as if listening to a preacher or choir.
    If you’re trying to build a worship service that's anti-racist and decenters whiteness, you start in one spot.
    Leader Resource | By JeKaren Olaoya, Erika Hewitt | September 2, 2022 | From WorshipLab
    Tagged as: #WidenTheCircle, 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Anti-Oppression, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Leadership, Multiculturalism, Race/Ethnicity, Unitarian Universalism, Worship Tips
  • A black-and-white portrait of an older person with a deeply wrinkled face with closed eyes and white hair
    We hold in our hearts those who aspire to move from age-ing to sage-ing.
    Prayer | By Darcey Elizabeth Hegvik Laine, Mary Grigolia | September 1, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Acceptance, Aging, Body, Challenge, Change, Worship
  • A candid black-and-white shot at night, looking through window of nearby pizza parlour. Two workers are seen from behind as they prepare food.
    There is no such thing as unskilled labor.
    Reflection | By Sarah Skochko | August 31, 2022 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), America, Compassion, Dignity, Human Rights, Humanism, Labor Day, Secular, Work, Worship
  • Delicate snowdrop flowers begin to bloom on a frosty ground.
    Beneath the snow, life is bursting, preparing for the next season.
    Meditation | By Sharon Delgadillo | August 24, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Change, Earth, Earth-Centered, Humanism, Imagination, Nature, Secular, Spring, Vernal Equinox, Worship
  • Cellist playing cello during concert, in a black and white close up that makes the neck of the cello appear somewhat abstract.
    Loss binds us together undeniably.
    Affirmation | By Atena O. Danner | August 23, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Brokenness, Connections, Grief, Healing, Kindness, Suffering
  • an abstract image of purple and black curves on a vertical plane
    I offer my "Ouch" with hope and trust.
    Meditation | By Atena O. Danner | August 18, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Anti-Oppression, Connections, Forgiveness, Humility, Living Our Faith, Relationships, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • Deep orange sunlight falls on a single fern stalk.
    Can we find space for lifting our heads in wonder—that we’re still striving, still trying together
    Chalice Lighting | By Li Kynvi | August 10, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Business Meetings, Commitment, Community, Faith, Hope, Identity, Living Our Faith, Purpose, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • A low angle photo to give an unusual perspective of the wild daisies which appear every spring along the West Coast in South Africa.
    May we open our hearts to the abundance of creation.
    Prayer | By Vanessa Rush Southern, Alyson Jacks | August 8, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Balance, Connections, Earth Day, Easter, Hope, Joy, Vernal Equinox, Worship
  • A Black woman in a swimsuit smiles with closed eyes as she floats in a swimming pool on a bright yellow pool ring.
    Pleasure is one of the ways we know when we are free.
    Reading | By Adrienne Maree Brown | August 5, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #BlackLivesMatter, Body, Direct Experience, Humanism, Joy, Secular, Self-Care, Sexuality, Worship