Unitarian Universalism is a young liberal faith tradition with roots that extend back into Christian and Judaic sources.  We often honor holidays from many faith traditions, and we have developed our own rituals that reflect liberal Christian values.

flowercommunionFlower Communion

The Flower Communionl, is an annual ritual that celebrates beauty, human uniqueness, diversity, and community.

Created in 1923 by Unitarian minister Norbert Capek of Prague, Czechoslovakia, the Flower Ceremony was introduced to the United States by Rev. Maya Capek, Norbert’s widow.

In this ceremony, everyone in the congregation brings a flower. Each person places a flower on the altar or in a shared vase. The congregation and minister bless the flowers, and they’re redistributed. Each person brings home a different flower than the one they brought.

Water Communion

The Water Communion, or Water Ceremony, was first used at a Unitarian Universalist (UU) worship service in the 1980s. Many UU congregations now hold a Water Communion once a year, often at the beginning of the new church year in September.

Members bring to the service a bit of water from a place that is special to them. During the appointed time in the service, people line up and one by one pour their water into a large bowl. The combined water is symbolic of our shared faith coming from many different sources. It is often then blessed by the congregation. At UUCC, we boil and use this water as the congregation’s “holy water” in child dedication ceremonies and similar events.