Holidays and Traditions
Our worship services draw from a variety of religious traditions and may include themes and celebrations such as:
- Ingathering Sunday Ingathering Sunday typically takes place on the first Sunday after Labor Day. This marks the transition from the quieter summer Sundays to the more intensive Sundays of the fall, winter, and spring.
- The Days of Awe We explore the universal spiritual themes such as atonement and forgiveness that can found in the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
- Commitment Sunday We take time to be mindful of the importance of sustaining our church financially.
- Indigenous Peoples’ Sunday We explore themes from indigenous spirituality.
- All Souls Sunday Typically on the first Sunday in November we read the names of members and friends of First Unitarian Church who have died in the previous twelve months.
- Thanksgiving Sunday On the Sunday before Thanksgiving we explore the theme of gratitude in a multi-generational celebration.
- Hanukkah We explore spiritual themes in this Jewish holiday that are meaningful for us as Unitarian Universalists.
- Solstice Celebration Our celebration of the winter solstice takes place in the evening, with the Dance Choir leading the way.
- Christmas Eve We celebrate with words, music, and candlelight.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday We honor the memory and vision of Dr. King and the values he lived for.
- Black History Month We are attentive to the history of African-Americans during February.
- Women’s History Month We are attentive to the history of the women’s movement during March.
- Easter Sunday We find our own Unitarian Universalist meanings as we reflect on the life and message of Jesus.
- Passover We explore spiritual themes in this Jewish holiday that are meaningful for us as Unitarian Universalists.
- Earth Sunday We affirm our kinship with all life on earth, and acknowledge our responsibility for living in sustainable and earth-friendly ways.
- Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day These are days for being especially mindful of family.
- Memorial Sunday Over the years we have explored a variety of messages about peace on this Sunday.
- Flower Communion Bring a flower and take a flower as we celebrate this uniquely Unitarian Universalist holiday.
- Pride Sunday Following this worship celebration, we encourage those attending to participate in the Pride Parade downtown.