The holiday celebrations in Unitarian Universalist congregations reflect the six Sources of our faith.

Many Unitarian Universalists celebrate Christian holidays like Christmas, Jewish holidays like Passover, and Pagan Winter Solstice, among others. Our holiday services use the stories and traditions creatively, calling us to our deeper humanity and our commitment to the good.

In addition to religious holidays, we also honor secular holidays including Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving.

Here at Chalice, we have a number of specific holiday traditions:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

On MLK Day, we honor Dr. King and examine our role in ending racism and oppression today.

Brigid/Imbolc

Imbolc is the Neo-Pagan celebration of the earliest signs of spring, an observance that lives on in our modern Groundhog Day. At this service, we honor the goddess Brigid and celebrate her gifts of beauty and creativity.

Easter

On Easter, we reflect on how Unitarian Universalists might learn from and be inspired by this significant Christian holiday.

May Day: Adoration Sunday

To adore is to love deeply and fully. But we can feel embarrassed to show our love openly and unabashedly. On May Day, we celebrate the beauty and blessings of loving with our whole hearts by naming the people and places we love.

Music Services

Our Music Director and musical groups lead a worship service once or twice a year.

Flower Ceremony

At summer solstice, we celebrate the beauty of our diversity as a congregation by participating in a Flower Communion ritual common to Unitarian Universalist congregations.

Ask Me Anything Service

Once a year, questions are collected during the service and answered by Rev. Sharon in lieu of a sermon.

Honoring Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is considered the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, a time for reflection and asking for forgiveness. We honor this High Holy Day by considering how we might offer forgiveness to those who have hurt us the most. We offer a Unitarian Universalist ritual of atonement.

Water Ritual

In September, we observe our communal Water Ritual, where the blending of waters reminds us of our deep connections to each other.

We Call Our Beloved Dead/Samhain

Whether you call it Samhain, Dia de los Muertos, or All Hallows’ Eve: this is the season to remember and honor our ancestors and beloved dead. Congregants are invited to bring photos of deceased loved ones to add to our communal altar as we gather in memory and celebration of those who have gone before us. We call the names of congregants who have died in the past year.

Chalice Soup/Founders’ Day

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, we pause to reflect on and to share our communal abundance, with special appreciation for our founding members. Congregants are encouraged to bring vegetarian soup ingredients for our communal soup, cooked by a volunteer during worship and served after the service. Canned goods for the Interfaith Community Services Food Pantry are also collected during the service.

Christmas Eve

We gather at a time of longest night to honor one of of the most significant holy days in the Christian tradition. Our service includes traditional Christmas hymns and communal candle lighting. Childcare is not available; children are welcome for the service.