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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 white candle burns, in a dim room, resting near evergreen and pinecone. Twinkly lights are visible in the background.
    Help us to see that for the smallest, the humblest, the least of these burns the brightest star.
    Chalice Lighting | By Mary Shelden | October 28, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Christianity, Worship
  • The stub of a lit taper candle burns brightly on a bed of cempasúchil, or Mexican marigolds.
    The dead aren’t really dead; their stories are perpetually being told by the world around us.
    Reflection | By Tania Y Márquez | October 27, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: All Souls Day, Día de los Muertos, Interfaith, Worship
  • Seen from behind, a person walks along a low-tide beach. Kelp covered rocks in foreground. Gentle surf and ocean waves in distance.
    I am learning to give up needing to know the answers, and instead live with the questions.
    Reflection | By Diane Dassow | October 20, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Body, Direct Experience, Illness, Patience, Peace, Spiritual Practice, Worry, Worship
  • Several dried flowers rest on the keys of an antique piano.
    May we know that the infinite web of life and love holds us all and holds all the stories.
    Ritual | By Mary Gear | October 18, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #COVID19, Brokenness, Death, Grief, Healing, Worship
  • A starry night sky and and an atmospheric glow blanket the well-lit southeastern African coast as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above.
    I need to celebrate our human family, whose power and potential shimmer against the backdrop of deep time, because we aren’t at our best right now.
    Reflection | By Erika Hewitt | October 13, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Awe, Humanism, Science, Wonder, Worship
  • Four members of the Squamish and Lil'wat Nations, with their backs to the camrea, are each draped in a traditional Squamish or Lil'wat blanket.
    I was leaving my mom in another world, located far away from mine.
    Reflection | By Mike Adams | October 6, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: History, Identity, Indigenous American, Indigenous Peoples Day, Race/Ethnicity, Resilience, Worship
  • Five people of color are seen in a line, holding hands with arms crossed in a sign of solidarity.
    In order to be welcoming, the systems of power and privilege in our spaces need to be actively dismantled.
    Reflection | By Shannon Lang | September 29, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: #8thPrinciple, #BlackLivesMatter, Anti-Oppression, Direct Experience, Diversity, Equity, Hospitality, Humanism, Race/Ethnicity, Secular, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • A white person's hand holding a sign with the message "my body my choice" over a crowded street
    May the beginnings and endings in our stories be held in unconditional love and acceptance.
    Litany | By Julia Hamilton | September 27, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Anti-Oppression, Body, Choice, Direct Experience, Reproductive Justice, Secular, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    It’s so [easy] to see the one disabled person and say, She needs a cure so she can fit into our world.
    Quote | By Rebekah Taussig | September 27, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Anti-Oppression, Body, Direct Experience, Disability, Justice, Oppression, Wholeness
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    When I was small and just learning how to do life in my body, I didn’t hesitate, didn’t hold back, didn’t worry how it would look, didn’t look for cues or ask for a line. My imagination ruled... I was entirely free to be, driven by the innovation my body inspired.
    Reading | By Rebekah Taussig | September 27, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Anti-Oppression, Body, Dignity, Direct Experience, Freedom, Justice, Oppression, Resilience, Wholeness
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    Shame seems to be a bestselling product pumped out of all these crushing systems.
    Reading | By Rebekah Taussig | September 27, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Anti-Oppression, Brokenness, Direct Experience, Disability, Identity, Justice, Oppression, Resilience
  • A white pillar candle is lit against a dark blue background.
    All are welcome from everywhere.
    Chalice Lighting | By anastasia birosh | September 27, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Hospitality, Inclusion, Worship
  • A person's hands shape a clay vessel on a potter's wheel.
    I want to be shaped in a way that lets me serve the eternal.
    Reflection | By Jake Morrill | September 22, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Contemplation, God, Meaning, Presence, Purpose, Transcendence, Worship
  • Against a vibrant golden plain, a regal lioness surveys her surroundings.
    We need resilience, perseverance, and persistence.
    Poetry | By Summer Albayati | September 21, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Faith, International, Islam, Patience, Resilience, Worship
  • Sunbeams break through a layer of clouds over Rioja Alavesa, Laguardia, Spain, with rippling mountains stretching out.
    I believe in your grace and protection and cannot imagine them slipping through the cracks.
    Reading | By Vanessa Titang | September 15, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Contemplation, Mystery, Presence, Searching, Transcendence, Worship
  • Against a black background, the lens looks up to towering white trees, their branches nearly touching in a thick canopy without leaves.
    May we know that our interconnectedness is a miracle, and may it be a refuge for us.
    Prayer | By Carter Smith | September 15, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #COVID19, 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Compassion, God, Grace, Immanence, Presence, Worship
  • On a rocky ledge overlooking the wildnerness, a Black man wearing a backpack holds a map.
    Dear Creative Life Force, the infinite healing power of creativity is the best gift you've given to us.
    Reflection | By Erica Shadowsong | September 15, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Creativity, Direct Experience, Family, Identity, Personal Stories, Self-Respect, Worship
  • A person holds their palm to the camera, obscuring their face. Their palm is painted with streaks of bright paint in yellows, reds, and blues.
    My God lives in the margins and witnesses to the broken-hearted.
    Reflection | By Jami Yandle | September 8, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Acceptance, Self-Care, Self-Respect, Worship
  • Six adults sitting in a circle comfort and listen to a seventh person, who appears distressed.
    Somehow, the things that are too much to bear alone are bearable together.
    Reflection | By Elizabeth Stevens | September 1, 2021 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Caring, Disaster or Crisis, Grief, Resilience, Trauma, Wisdom, Worship
  • text of title
    The 8th Principle is about actively dismantling racism.
    Reading | By Shannon Lang | August 23, 2021 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #8thPrinciple, Anti-Oppression, Direct Experience, Humanism, Integrity, Race/Ethnicity, Unitarian Universalism, Worship