My Unitarian Universalist Take On Christmas

By Norma Zvertre

At Christmas, a Unitarian Universalist can feel caught right between Christ and Santa Claus. Most Unitarian Universalists are uncomfortable with the notion that Jesus is the reason for the season and they also don’t want to elevate the materialism of Santa Claus. Most Unitarian Universalists are left puzzled and perplexed at Christmas. It is important to reflect about Christmas and what you want it to mean in your home.

For the most part, Unitarian Universalists respect Christian traditions that celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus. A lot of Unitarian Universalists take Martin Luther King’s birthday very seriously, so why not the birth of Jesus? It is a good opportunity for Unitarian Universalist parents to talk with their children about the teachings of Jesus. Christmas and Easter may be the only times that you do this, but it is important.

Community service is a large part of a Unitarian Universalist’s life. A nice Christmas ritual my family has is related to the service of others. My children make a Unitarian Universalist Helping Others box to put money in for the coming year’s donations. We also light a special Christmas chalice that we made together and make promises about how we will help others throughout the year.

Some Unitarian Universalists celebrate the Winter Solstice with some intensity. I have attended many gatherings on this day to celebrate the cycles of the Earth. One family that I know does not celebrate Christmas at all, only the Winter Soltice. They have a big celebration that ends with Sun Shakes made with orange juice and vanilla ice cream.

We don’t have a name for it, but each Christmas my family all exchanges names. The idea is that you are supposed to do three good deeds for the person whose name you drew during the coming year. This is a little like a Secret Santa, but it has been altered to fit with our family’s values.


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