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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 - 10 of 35

  • A lit taper candle burns against a blurred background of blue holiday lights.
    Grief is welcome, a sacred part of the mourning.
    Reading | By Kari Kopnick | March 1, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Balance, Challenge, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Compassion, Despair, Empathy, Grief, Winter Solstice / Yule, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A wisp of smoke rises from an extinguished candle.
    Hope continues, uncertain and true, like candlelight, ready to spark again.
    Chalice Extinguishing | By Kevin Jagoe | November 2, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Autumnal Equinox, Despair, Disaster or Crisis, Fall, Hope, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule, WorshipWeb, Worship
  • A crowd of Unitarian Universalists walks in a candlelight vigil honoring the life of Freddie Gray.
    How many more Sundays will the preacher in black robes and the solemn shuffle of papers Read the names of those whose light was extinguished for our right to bear arms? How many more Sundays will we try to believe that our hopes for justice are worth more than the lobbyists’ tailored suits and...
    Meditation | By Eliot Brian Chenowith | March 15, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Despair, Direct Experience, Disaster or Crisis, Grief, Pain, Presence, Sorrow, Spirituality
  • A black parent embraces their child, who is smiling in to the camera
    "When it comes to our children, we do not have the luxury of despair. If we rise, they will rise with us every time, no matter how many times we've fallen before. I hope you will remember that the next time you fail. I hope I will too. Remembering that is the most important work as parents we can...
    Quote | By Cheryl Strayed | January 30, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Child Dedication, Children, Coming of Age, Despair, Direct Experience, Failure, Family, Father's Day, Fathers, Humanism, Integrity, Mother's Day, Mothers, Parents, Secular, Teacher Dedication
  • Three purple and one pink candles, all lit, on an Advent wreath
    During Advent, we listen and keep vigil for the promise of things to come.
    Ritual | By Erika Hewitt | December 2, 2017 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Christianity, Despair, Faith, Hope, Joy, Spiritual Practice, Tradition
  • With blurred multicolored Christmas lights in the background, a small Jesus-in-the-manger from a nativity scene is in half-light.
    I was talking to someone recently about the story of her church-going life, and she told me about a time in her life that she stopped coming to church. Many people who have a story about their church-going life also have a story about taking a break from church—when they stopped going, sometimes...
    Reflection | By Robin Bartlett | November 26, 2017 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Advent, Christianity, Despair, God, Hope, Inclusion, Presence
  • In a sunlit sanctuary, a person sits in a wooden pew.
    You whose hearts are broken, come in. You whom pain has touched, and sorrow, and shock. You who have cried this week, and read the news with sadness. You whom loss has shadowed. You who grieve. Come in, come in. You with hearts open to joy and hope, come in. You whom love has touched, and...
    Opening | By Sharon Wylie | November 21, 2017 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Brokenness, Challenge, Community, Despair, Direct Experience, Disaster or Crisis, Hope, Inclusion, Interdependence
  • A human hand holds a fraying, spooled piece of red silk
    We, the willing, follow the threads to one another; past rightness and quips and tweets. We will find one another and persist past sunrise.
    Reflection | By Robin Tanner | October 4, 2017 | From Braver/Wiser
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Children, Despair, Direct Experience, Disaster, Disaster or Crisis, Hope, Humanism, Parents, Salvation, Secular, Unitarian Universalism, Violence, Vision
  • A speckled egg and leaves inside of a bird's nest
    One: Despair is sapping our spirits, damaging our souls, hurting our hearts. Many: We need to be resurrected into hope, faith, and trust. Today, may we be resurrected. One: Violence is shortening our lives and robbing us of our joy. Many: We need to be resurrected into peace and its many blessings.
    Responsive Reading | By Amanda Udis-Kessler | September 12, 2017 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Brokenness, Despair, Direct Experience, Failure, Good Friday, Grace, Hope, Redemption, Salvation
  • In the snow, with only their upper body visible, a person holds a lit sparkler.
    If ever there were a time for a candle in the darkness, this would be it. Using a spark of hope, kindle the flame of love, ignite the light of peace, and feed the flame of justice.
    Chalice Lighting | By Melanie Davis | December 22, 2016 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Activism, Calling, Despair, Hope, Justice, Justice Sunday, Peace, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Secular, Unitarian Universalism, Worry