Ceremonies

The wedding ceremony reflects the humanistic values of Ethical Culture, and the joy and significance of the occasion. The focus is on the couple — their values, commitments and styles — and on the ideals of Ethical Culture as they pertain to marriage. A successful way of giving the ceremony this personal dimension is by inviting the couple to collaborate with the Leader in its creation. Among elements that couples may include in the ceremony are the following: An initial greeting to [...]

The Ethical Culture Society provides funeral and memorial services at the time of death for members of the Society and people from the general community. Funerals take place shortly after death, while memorials are held after a few days or weeks. In keeping with its humanistic ideals, Ethical Culture funerals and memorials are dedicated to honoring the unique personality, values and contributions of the person who recently has died. While there is no set liturgy for the Ethical Culture funeral o[...]

The birth of a child calls for celebration. Ethical Culture provides welcoming ceremonies for the children of members and friends. The purpose of the ceremony is for family and friends to come together around this momentous occasion to share our joy and express our responsibility to the newborn and his or her future.With the help of the Ethical Culture Leader, parents organize the ceremony. It can take place at the Ethical Culture Society in the presence of the entire community, in a home, a par[...]

The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County has developed an elaborate celebration marking graduation from the Ethical Culture Society. Graduating students work with an adult mentor for a year around the development of a graduation presentation. The ceremony itself, which takes place in May or June, includes statements about the students from his or her mentor, a statement from parents, and the student’s presentation, which is the centerpiece of the celebration. Parents, relatives, member[...]