Celebrate!
Hooray for May! May not only brings those of us in the Northern Hemisphere warm weather and flowers, it also brings us a holiday created by a Unitarian (Mother’s Day—see the link below for details) and a holiday to honor those who gave their lives in war. Click on a link below to find information and activities about these and other holidays.
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We Honor… |
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Mary Wollstonecraft, who not only deserves mention on Mother’s Day as one of the earliest writers on women’s rights, but who also was the mother of another famous Unitarian woman, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, the author of Frankenstein. Mary Wollstonecraft was born in England in 1759, and raised by parents who gave almost all of their love and attention to her brother. In spite of this, Mary managed to get an education on her own, and to support herself as a lady's companion, seamstress, governess, and schoolteacher.
In 1782 she became a member of the Unitarian chapel in Newington Green, and her friendship with the minister there led her to meet many of the most important—and radical—thinkers and writers of her day. In 1790 she wrote a book called A Vindication of the Rights of Man, a radical work in which she said that people should have equal opportunity, and that their talent and hard work, not how wealthy their families are, should decide how well a person would succeed in life.
But if that book was considered radical at the time, the book she wrote two years later was more shocking still. In A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft wrote that women were entitled to the same education, work opportunities and right to vote as men. This was the first time that anyone had ever written such a thing in public, and it was more than 160 years later that women in England got full voting rights.
Her book was widely read and got a great deal of attention. Unfortunately, just five years after its publication, Mary died giving birth to the daughter who shared her name. However, the second Mary grew up to become another smart, talented, radical woman, of whom her mother would have been very proud. |
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Act!
Memorial Day is a holiday to honor those who have died fighting in wars. In Washington, D.C. there is a very famous monument which honors all the soldiers who died during the Vietnam War. A long wall of black granite, it has the names of each soldier who died in that war carved into it. (Here are some pictures) In honor of Memorial Day you may want to create our own memorial wall. Use a long sheet from a roll of paper, or a length of light-colored fabric, to create a memorial banner. It would take far too long to write out the names of all of the soldiers who have died in the war in Iraq, but to honor them, and to get a sense of how many soldiers have died in the war in the last six years, an “x” on the paper or fabric for every person who has died—4278 “x’s” in all. (Note: go here for up to date numbers) Add a title to your wall, such as “We honor the soldiers who have died in Iraq,” and add pictures, or messages that you would like to say to the soldiers or their families. Include messages of peace as well, if you’d like. Hang your memorial banner on the outside of your house or church for everyone to see, to help them remember those who have died, and the terrible cost of war.
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Nurturing Your Spirit
Beltane is an ancient pagan holiday celebrating the full arrival of spring—the midpoint between the spring equinox in March and the summer solstice in June. Garlands of flowers, dancing the Maypole and burning bonfires are all traditional activities for Beltane. Another traditional ritual to connect your spirit to the spirit of the Earth on Beltane is to wash your face with the dew on Beltane morning. You can go out early and get your hands wet with morning dew from the grass and leaves on May 1st, or leave a washcloth out in a bowl the night before and wash your face with the dampness it collects. Feel the freshness of the dew of Beltane morning add “spring” to your step!
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Principles in Practice
Our sixth UU principle is “The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.” This month we honor those who have died in war, and we celebrate Mother’s Day, which was originally a day for promoting peace. So why not do a little something to make peace yourself? You can probably think of lots of peaceful things to do, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Make paper cranes, a symbol of peace. You could even mail your cranes to the president (or prime minister or other government official), along with a note or prayer for peace. Or give a crane to somebody you’ve been fighting with as a peace offering. Or hang paper cranes in your room as a reminder to live peacefully.
- Make a peace pole, displaying the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in different languages.
- Hold a peace vigil. Make signs with messages and pictures for peace. Invite your friends, and make sure you include some grown-ups. Go to a public place (not too close to cars!) and sing peace songs or sit in silence imagining a peaceful world.
- Check out other activities online.
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