Celebrate!
You may think of January as the start of the new year,
but in China and Vietnam, as well as in the Muslim tradition,
the new year comes in February. And, of course, there’s
the February favorite, Valentine’s Day. How can
you not like a holiday that involves candy? Click on
the links below to find out about some holidays that
may be unfamiliar to you, and to find fun ways to celebrate
more familiar ones. Oh, and check out the REsources
page in the February Quest (in print or on-line)
to find out more about Groundhog Day.
Some of these holidays celebrate seasons of the year,
and some celebrate important people who have made a
difference in history. When you celebrate holidays you
can remember that two of the sources of our living tradition
are “Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions
which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct
us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature”
and “Words and deeds of prophetic women and men
which challenge us to confront powers and structures
of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming
power of love.” |
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We Honor…
Two special Unitarians who had their birthdays in February. |
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Charles Dickens was one of the most famous novelists
to use the English language. His works, incredibly popular
in both their day and now, came out in installments in
magazines. Often funny, his books also helped wealthier
people to understand what life was like for the poor of
England. Although he wasn’t raised a Unitarian,
in 1842 he met William Ellery Channing and Ralph Waldo
Emerson, and their commitment to a religion that cared
about helping people, and was inclusive of different people
and beliefs, convinced him to join a Unitarian church
back in England. Learn
more about Charles Dickens and his connections to Unitarianism.
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| Susan B. Anthony was a great American crusader for several
causes, including the abolition of slavery. However, she
is most famous—and worked hardest—for the
movement to give women the right to vote. A tireless worker,
she lectured and raised money and protested for decades,
trying to bring about equality for women. Although she
never officially left the liberal Quaker church in which
she was raised, Anthony went regularly to a Unitarian
church, and was very much in sympathy with the Unitarians.
Maybe it’s a bit of a stretch, but we can’t
resist claiming this brave woman as one of our own! Find
out more about Susan B. Anthony’s life, and see
some pictures of what she looked like. |
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Act!
Valentine’s Day is a great day to show that you
care. In addition to giving valentines to family and
friends, why not make valentines to give to people at
a local nursing home or shelter for the homeless? Kids
in a shelter for families escaping domestic violence,
or on the children’s ward of a hospital, might
be especially glad for a beautiful, cheering valentine.
Or, you might want to join with UUs in California who
are sending messages to their legislators in support
of the right of same-sex couples to marry. If you think
it’s unfair that two women or two men who love
each other and care for one another can’t get
legally married, or if it bugs you that kids with two
moms or two dads can’t have the legal security
of married parents, then put it on a valentine! If you
live in the United States, you can find out how to contact
your members of government, from the president on down,
at http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/. |
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Ask CLiF
Ask CLiF any questions you have about religion or living
a good life
Dear CLiF,
Where did Unitarian Universalists come from? –Lorraine
Dear Lorraine,
Wow, that takes a pretty long and complicated answer.
Let’s see how short I can make it.
Originally, Unitarians and Universalists were
two different groups, who both believed in an open-minded
approach to religion, and who thought that we should
work to make things better in this world, rather than
mostly worrying about getting to heaven and trusting
that things would be better after we die. Unitarians
put their emphasis on the goodness of people and our
ability to figure out the right thing to believe and
do. Universalists put their emphasis on our relationship
with a loving God, who cared about us and was rooting
for us to be kind, happy people. Both groups started
official organizations in 1825, but were around for
a while before that—in fact a number of the
American revolutionaries and founders of the USA were
Unitarians!
Although both denominations were originally Christian,
both the Unitarians and Universalists came to embrace
the idea that you didn’t necessarily have to
believe in Jesus Christ as a savior, or even in God.
Since they agreed on so many things, and since both
were small, and sometimes struggling, denominations,
in 1961 the two groups agreed to join together into
what became the Unitarian Universalist Association.
You might be interested to know that the Unitarian
and Universalist youth organizations joined together
before the two denominations did. Once again, kids
were at the forefront of a good idea!
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