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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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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3

  • 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 Brooks | October 14, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: #COVID19, Autumnal Equinox, Winter Solstice / Yule, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • Thick smoke from bushfires fills the air in eastern Gippsland on January 02, 2020, Australia.
    This ritual begins by lighting a candle from the chalice, and placing it in position. A list of supplies is at the end of this resource. One: Fire. Source of warmth and life for our ancestors; and for humans still today....
    Ritual | By Amy Brooks | January 3, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Direct Experience, Disaster or Crisis, Earth, Fear, Grief, Solidarity, Unitarian Universalism, Climate Justice
  • Transgender_Portraits
    We people, gathered here today on the quest for truth and meaning, bear witness. We bear witness. To the record of human lives extinguished, simply because these people dared to live authentically, we bear witness. To the lives and reported deaths of (number) transgender people, globally, so far...
    Responsive Reading | By Amy Brooks | January 22, 2019 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Acceptance, Anti-Oppression, Choice, Conscience, Courage, Diversity, Empathy, Freedom, Gender, Identity, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Unitarian Universalism