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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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  • On a road, a Black man in jeans bends down to talk through a passenger window to the car's driver.
    My intuition became honed, for safety and survival.
    Reflection | By Lynette Yetter | March 22, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    I cannot assume anything when you welcome me into your spaces with suspicion and fear.
    Poetry | By Kristen L. Harper | March 15, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #8thPrinciple, #BlackLivesMatter, Anti-Oppression, Justice, Oppression, Race/Ethnicity, Worship
  • A trail is vaguely visible on a mossy forest bed, through thick trees. A blaze of blue paint appears on one of the many trees.
    What’s your most memorable story about getting lost? What do you remember about finding your way home?
    Reflection | By Erika Hewitt | March 15, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Connections, Despair, Direct Experience, Home, Hope, Humanism, Journey, Searching, Worship
  • A burst of sunlight appears through leafy branches
    This chalice is for the living, the changing, the becoming.
    Chalice Lighting | By Li Kynvi | March 15, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Growth, Identity, Living Our Faith, Transformation, Truth, Worship
  • Silhouetted by the setting sun, a person is caught in the moments after skipping a stone into Lake Erie at Point Pelee National Park, Ontario.
    To live is to change. To change is to find our sacred purpose.
    Prayer | By George Grimm-Howell | March 15, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Worship
  • From above, a cross-section of a large, old oak stump--with all of its rings--and an oak sapling growing out of its center.
    I don’t know exactly when it happened, but something began to change.
    Reading | By Tess Baumberger | March 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Acceptance, Aging, Caring, Change, Coming-of-Age, Direct Experience, Generations, Humanism, Life Transition, Secular, Worship
  • Seen from above, an ivory pillar candle burns on a slate surface with a branch of greenery resting nearby.
    Be kind. Be brave. Be just. Be merciful.
    Benediction | By Adam Slate | March 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Courage, Hope, Justice, Kindness, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    We end our gathering with gratitude for camaraderie, shared wisdom, goodwill, and support
    Benediction | By Adam Slate | March 10, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Worship
  • an abstract image of greens and yellows with bursts of orange
    May we know ourselves as vessels of infinite possibility
    Opening | By Leah Ongiri | March 10, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Growth, Living Our Faith, Purpose, Spirituality, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • Against a white background, several flower bulbs and one upright bulbs with shoots of green rising from its top.
    Beneath the crust of earth, seeds and bulbs lay in store.
    Meditation | By Jennifer Johnson | March 10, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Earth, Earth-Centered, Imagination, Nature, Patience, Spring, Vernal Equinox, Winter, Worship
  • A piece of artwork in a butterfly shape, filled with textures and in the colors of the rainbow.
    Today we celebrate the new name that reflects a truth long-hidden, now revealed.
    Ritual | By Karen G. Johnston | March 9, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Acceptance, Caring, Identity, Inclusion, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Life Transition, Naming Ceremony, Self-Respect, Transformation, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    We gather this morning as one community
    Chalice Lighting | By Adam Slate | March 9, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Connections, Individualism, Unity, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    We shall all be free.
    Chalice Lighting | By Adam Slate | March 9, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Freedom, Living Our Faith, Purpose, Vision, Worship
  • A pink-orange sky with a layer of thick foamy clouds and trees in the distance.
    You have given us a day unique from any other.
    Prayer | By Adam Slate | March 9, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Calling, Challenge, Character, God, Growth, Living Our Faith, Purpose, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • The torso of an Asian person wearing an apron as they scoop freshly cooked rice out of a rice cooker.
    We must unstick our minds if we want to bring change into the world.
    Reflection | By Tomo Hillbo | March 8, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Contemplation, Direct Experience, Food, Growth, Humility, International, Reason, Revelation, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    Loving sometimes takes all that we have.
    Responsive Reading | By Patty Willis | March 8, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Courage, Forgiveness, Friendship, Love, Relationships, Worship
  • As the sun sets, a tangle of large, smooth rocks rests at the edge of Lake Tahoe's shore.
    In our lives, people sometimes do us wrong.
    Responsive Reading | By Patty Willis | March 8, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Connections, Empathy, Forgiveness, Grace, Pain, Solidarity, Worship
  • A close-up of reeds strands interwoven on the side of a basket.
    May we prevail in our intentions to make a gift of the world to the next generations.
    Benediction | By Ma Theresa "Tet" Gustilo Gallardo | March 8, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    Ultimately it will be the small things that unite us...
    Poetry | By Jennifer Pratt-Walter | March 7, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Beauty, Compassion, Contemplation, Nature, Unity
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    we protest what others cherish
    Poetry | By Lucas Hergert | March 3, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 5th Principle (Conscience & Democracy), Activism, Conflict, Democracy, Justice