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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 lit candle in a jar, on the sill of an open window.
    We light this chalice to kindle a flame of warmth as a reminder of the connection that draws us in to a community that opens us up.
    Chalice Lighting | By Amy G. S. A. Brooks | October 14, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #COVID19, Autumnal Equinox, Winter Solstice / Yule, Worship
  • A gold leaf is held, suspended, by the delicate green needles on an evergreen tree.
    Like the sun moving toward the shortest day, each moment arises—and is gone before we know it.
    Meditation | By Lori Gorgas Hlaban | October 13, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Autumnal Equinox, Balance, Earth, Earth-Centered, Nature, Worship
  • A baby turtle on a beach, with the ocean and two blurred humans in the background.
    Tip if you are video recording this story: you can have a clip of an adult stretching out their arm in one direction, then another clip of a different adult stretching out their arm in the other direction, so that when you edit it, it looks like they are stretching towards each other. It would be...
    Time for All Ages | By Karen G. Johnston | October 13, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #COVID19, 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Animals, Caring, Earth, Earth-Centered, Environment, Humanism, Nature, Responsibility, Worship
  • Underneath a plaque, affixed to a wall, that says NO BICYCLES PLEASE, a bicycle is leaning on the wall.
    I feel disoriented when I’m in a new place or situation and can’t figure out whether the rules are real or imaginary.
    Reflection | By Erika Hewitt | October 7, 2020 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Community, Direct Experience, Interdependence, Limitations, Living Our Faith, Secular, Self-Respect, Worship
  • A woman and a small child wearing a kippah (yarmulke) kiss.
    May this chalice light guide us toward the courageous and openhearted apology, toward repair of relationships in our lives.
    Chalice Lighting | By Joanna Lubkin | October 1, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Forgiveness, Judaism, Relationships, Sacred, Worship, Yom Kippur
  • Two people inside an airport terminal wave at an airplane.
    It’s important to honor the footprint others leave on our heart.
    Reading | By Lauren Robbins | October 1, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Brokenness, Change, Direct Experience, Discernment, Ending, Friendship, Humanism, Pain, Relationships, Secular, Self-Respect, Vulnerability, Worship
  • From beneath a bed, a parent and child hang over, flashlight pointed at the camera, as if checking for monsters under the bed.
    In these days of so much uncertainty, may we choose honesty over comfort, love over complacency, and truth over convenience.
    Reflection | By Rachel Lonberg | September 30, 2020 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: #COVID19, Children, Direct Experience, Discernment, Fear, Parents, Secular, Trust, Truth, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    The harder things are to say, the more necessary they are to say.
    Quote | By Adrienne Maree Brown | September 29, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Conflict, Direct Experience, Discernment, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Relationships, Respect, Responsibility, Trust, Truth, Worship
  • A line of police officers with shields and riot gear face off against a line of protesters at a Black Lives Matter Protest in DC, 6/1/2020
    Life is political, not because the world cares about how you feel, but because the world reacts to what you do.
    Quote | By Timothy Snyder | September 27, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 5th Principle (Conscience & Democracy), Activism, America, Democracy, Justice, Meaning, Politics, Secular, Worship
  • Washington, DC, USA - June 19, 2020: A young protester and celebrant of Juneteenth holds a sign that reads "I am my ancestors' wildest dream" at Black Lives Matter Plaza / Lafayette Square
    None of us would be here were it not for those who lived and won a fight that they were not meant to survive.
    Reflection | By Daniel Gregoire | September 23, 2020 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: #BlackLivesMatter, Direct Experience, Family, Generations, History, Humanism, Justice, Living Our Faith, Race/Ethnicity, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • A sculpture by Jane Mortimer ("Loss"), showing a seated figure with their head tucked against their knees
    When we feel overwhelmed, we gather to find a path, to find new ways forward.
    Responsive Reading | By David Breeden | September 19, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Disaster or Crisis, Grief, Humanism, Memorial Services, Purpose, Searching, Secular, Strength, Stress, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • Two cats look curiously at a food bowl being set down by a person.
    Part of being in community is noticing what's needed. Part of being in community is doing what is necessary but unclaimed.
    Reflection | By Christine Slocum | September 16, 2020 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Animals, Caring, Community, Conscience, Generosity, Humanism, Interdependence, Nature, Responsibility, Secular, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • An apple, two pomegranates, and a small jar of honey with a label printed in Hebrew.
    We are held by the great Book of Life, in which it is written that we will inevitably face deprivation and discomfort. Each among us must contemplate our own place in it all.
    Opening | By Leah Ongiri | September 15, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Judaism, Rosh Hashanah, Worship, Yom Kippur
  • A glowing paper star lantern appears to hang in a window, with a winter scene outside.
    Advent is about the new story being written in our lives.
    Quote | By Jes Kast | September 10, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Christianity, God, Hope, Spirituality, Vulnerability, Worship
  • A person with dark skin, wearing a white doctor's coat and a stethoscope around their neck, holds a cell phone in their hands.
    You are sacred, and that energy runs through your hands, through the hands of all Unitarian Universalists. You are part of that interdependent network.
    Ritual | By Austen Petersen | September 10, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #COVID19, Backpack Blessing, Worship
  • A black parent embraces their child, who is smiling in to the camera
    One day, I’ll have to care for my mother as she once cared for me. I’m not ready to handle the truth that our relationship must change.
    Reflection | By Erica Shadowsong | September 9, 2020 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Caring, Child Dedication, Children, Coming of Age, Coming-of-Age, Direct Experience, Fear, Generations, Growth, Humanism, Love, Mother's Day, Mothers, Parents, Secular, Worship
  • The Gulf of México, lit at night, as seen from space.
    Across the limits of our imagination, we are connected.
    Affirmation | By Leslie Takahashi | September 8, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Connections, Worship
  • A parent cradles the head of a toddler wearing pink footie pajamas.
    This is a prayer for working parents zooming another meeting with a little face joining in; for new parents, waiting for new life without support; for the single parents, doing all this alone.
    Prayer | By Sara Goodman | September 2, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #COVID19, Challenge, Children, Direct Experience, Fathers, Humanism, Mothers, Parents, Secular, Worship
  • A view of the starry sky at night, straight up, through the silhouette of trees around the edges.
    What once seemed certain is now unpredictable, even dangerous.
    Reflection | By Leslie Ahuvah Fails | September 2, 2020 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Challenge, Change, Children, Direct Experience, Earth, Humanism, Nature, Parents, Spiritual Practice, Worship
  • On a workbench scattered with tools, a person uses a screwdriver.
    Over the years, I’ve built up an impressive array of tools for meetings: I-statements, being assertive, and all of that stuff. What I could improve on, though, is knowing when to switch tools.
    Reflection | By Liz James | August 31, 2020 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Community, Conflict, Relationships