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.

MMUUF has created our own traditions for celebration and remembrance, drawing upon many sources, and inspired by UU traditions. For example, we may celebrate various religious holidays like Christmas, Easter, Ramadan, and Hanukkah with a focus on the universal themes of the great faiths of the world – birth, light, rising again after setbacks, the true wonder of every child.

In another tradition, we start each Fellowship year in September with a UU Service called Gathering the Waters. We observe a holiday like Mothers’ Day by celebrating all caregivers in our lives. Some UU holiday traditions connect typically secular celebrations with our spiritual selves.

St. Valentine’s Day celebrates love, the Solstice welcomes renewal and starting again, and Halloween connects us to our ancestors. Each holiday stirs us to reflect on our gifts, our challenges, and our capacity to do good in the world.

View and download the 2016-17 UUA Worship Calendar, 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.