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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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  • The feet and legs of several members of the Narragansett tribe, in traditional dress, at their 2012 pow-wow.
    Something new could come out of this moment of discomfort; something like healing. This is our opportunity to reimagine what Thanksgiving could be — and who we could be.
    Reflection | By Daniel Gregoire | November 21, 2018 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: America, Anti-Oppression, Direct Experience, History, Indigenous American, Responsibility, Thanksgiving
  • Against a rough plaster wall, about 19 empty picture frames -- each unique -- hang in an informal arrangement
    This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future.... — from "Solstice Poem" by Margaret Atwood Here we are on the cusp of the Winter Solstice, when the light comes back! To celebrate, I...
    Reflection | By Daniel Gregoire | December 21, 2016 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: Earth-Centered, Humanism, Secular, Unitarian Universalism, Winter Solstice / Yule