Ingathering/Water Ceremony
On the first Sunday after Labor Day, we kick off the new congregational year with an Ingathering service, with the Water Communion ritual (or Water Ceremony) to represent reunion; re-gathering; re-covenanting as a community of faith; hospitality; returning home to the church community that holds us; hope; looking forward with excitement to church year.

Indigenous People’s Day
Reimagines Columbus Day and changes a celebration of colonialism into an opportunity to reveal historical truths about the genocide and oppression of indigenous peoples in the Americas, to organize against current injustices, and to celebrate indigenous resistance.

Halloween/Samhain/Dia de los Muertos
We celebrate our ancestors on this day with a beautiful altar filled with flowers and photos.

Thanksgiving Potluck
Each year we invite our members and friends to spend this special day of thanks together with a big potluck meal in the Great Hall and entertainment in the form of music, poetry, and dance. We honor the indigenous people on whose land we meet, as we renew our commitment to social and economic justice.

Hannukuh
Also known as the Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukkah (or Chanukah) celebrates two miracles: a great Jewish military victory and a miraculous supply of oil for the Temple. The Hanukkah menorah holds nine candles, one for each of the eight nights and an additional candle that’s used to light the others. Hanukkah is a time to celebrate with family and friends, to eat holiday treats, to give gifts (especially to children) and to play the dreidel game.

Winter Solstice/Yule
Winter solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. it is a time of both foreboding and expectancy, as the longest night leads to the return of the sun. An important day to both humanists and pagans, who can find common ground in celebrating this occasion. Themes can include light amid darkness; the death of nature and the cycle of life; the darkness just before the dawn; the miracle of every birth.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Music Director Shaun Garner and the members of the choir prepare a very special Christmas Eve service. It begins with music at 4:15pm. Our minister and members of RVUUF share readings and stories of Christmas interwoven with carols and anthems. Childcare is provided for nursery to age 6, from 4:15 to 5:30 p.m. Older children attend the service with their parents or guardians.

Kwanzaa
The celebration honors African heritage in African-American culture, culminating in a feast and gift-giving. Kwanzaa has seven core principles (Nguzo Saba). It was created by Maulana Karenga, and was first celebrated in 1966–67.

MLK Day

Holocaust Memorial Day

Imbolc/Candlemas/Midwinter
The rhythms of nature urge us to pause at Midwinter, to take down the decorations and turn our attention from the holidays that have passed toward the spring to come. Here is our chance to reflect and to share warmth, by pulling closer to hearth fires, lighting candles in gratitude for food and comfort, showing hospitality to those in need, and exchanging stories that touch the heart. Imbolc invites us to appreciate being “in the belly” of winter, to be fully present with winter’s dangers and its hopes.

Chinese New Year

Valentine’s Day

Side with Love Sunday

Annual Spring Auction Fundraiser
Every spring an incredible group of volunteers organizes the largest fundraiser of the year to support its work in the community, with a Silent Auction, Live Auction, Door Prizes, Food, Ambiance, Music and Fun! There’s even a children’s auction table so they can contribute and participate, too. With some incredible items up for sale, such as a Condo vacation, zip line and rafting adventures, local restaurants and shops, and various dinners and events by members. There is a suggested donation for members and supporters of RVUUF, and tickets for friends and family are free. Scholarships are available and childcare will be provided. This usually takes place in the Spring. We’re currently seeking a new team for the next auction.

Spring Equinox/Ostara/Easter
At our Easter service we celebrate Renewal and Rebirth. There are also fun activities for the whole family with an Easter Egg hunt and healthy treats in the side yard.

Beltane/May Day 

Mother’s Day
In our Mother’s Day service we honor all mothers and this day often includes a Child Dedication ceremony, crafted by the parents, our minister, and religious educators working closely together. Many will include the following elements:

• A blessing for the new life  the child
• An expression of the parent or parents’ hopes for the child
• A promise by the congregation to support and nurture the child

Memorial Day

Juneteenth

Summer Solstice

Father’s Day

General Assembly

Stonewall Uprising

Independence Day

Flower Ceremony
The Flower Ceremony, sometimes referred to as Flower Communion or Flower Festival, is an annual ritual that celebrates beauty, human uniqueness, diversity, and community. Originally 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.