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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 mountain range is silhouetted by the orange dawn behind it. Most of the sky is still dark, and time-lapse trails of the paths of the stars show the spinning of the Earth.
    The fulcrum of the Earth tilts toward goodness and I will ride along…
    Reading | By Jennifer Pratt-Walter | December 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Balance, Beauty, Earth, Earth-Centered, Good, Nature, Transcendence, Winter Solstice / Yule, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A bright red egg rests on a white paper towel.
    Imagine if Easter preachers—and all the rest of us—had the chutzpah of Mary Magdalene.
    Time for All Ages | By Anne S. Howard | March 22, 2016 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Abundance, Christianity, Courage, Easter, God, Good, Power, Revelation
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    In Jewish tradition, the four chapters of the Book of Jonah are read aloud at Yom Kippur. Jonah is a minor prophet in the Hebrew Bible but he has a big message. Some of you may know his story. Jonah is sent by God to Nineveh to warn the people that if they do not change their ways they will be...
    Story | By Joanne Giannino | September 22, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Anger, Community, Compromise, Forgiveness, God, Good, Judaism, Transformation, Yom Kippur
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    For millennia People have gathered together to hear stories, To root for the underdog, To jeer the evil and the unkind. We see in our stories Mirrors to our own lives Where we hope good things will happen to good people And that evil will be vanquished....
    Opening | By Sharon Wylie | March 3, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Connections, Evil, Generations, Good, History, Judaism, Purim, Unitarian Universalism
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    Holy One, We are on our knees In awe and supplication For we have remembered the incomprehensible value Of every human life. We have heard the thrum of helicopter blades And wailing sirens. We have smelled the ash and smoke....
    Prayer | By Sue Phillips | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Compassion, Death, Despair, Disaster, Disaster or Crisis, Good, Kindness, Suffering