Marking Milestones in Community
The Swedish proverb says, “Joy shared is joy multiplied; sorrow shared is sorrow divided.”
Celebrating life events is an important part of our journey, but the traditional versions of these ceremonies are shaped by religious concepts and values. At Ethical Culture, we welcome you to mark these milestones with humanist, atheist, or agnostic celebrations! We love to create beautiful memories and foster the connection among family and friends, but enriching your community’s connection doesn’t have to incorporate religious influences – we simply celebrate our shared human experience.
Funerals and Memorial Services
While there is no set liturgy for the Ethical Culture funeral or memorial service, the Ethical Culture Leader will meet with family members in advance of the service as an opportunity to express grief, recount memories, and discuss details of the service. The service, which can be held either at the Ethical Culture building or at the location of your choosing, often begins with the Leader briefly talking about death and life within the context of humanistic values, and then reflecting on the life of the person we are recalling. We create an opportunity for family members, friends and others to participate in the service by sharing their memories of the deceased with those present. Many services include music, flowers, photos of the person being memorialized, or a guest book but choosing how to memorialize your loved one is entirely up to you.
Wedding Ceremonies
We are happy to create customized ceremonies for couples of different religious backgrounds or genders, no particular religious connection, and anyone who wants a humanistic, spiritual ceremony. The Leader will take time to get to you know you before the celebration. Together, you and the Leader will craft an experience that reflects your values and includes your family and friends in whatever ways resonate with you.
Welcoming a New Baby
The birth of a child calls for celebration! Ethical Culture provides welcoming ceremonies where family and friends can come together around this momentous occasion to share our joy and express our responsibility to the newborn. Parents organize the ceremony with the help of the Ethical Culture Leader,. It can take place at the Ethical Culture Society in the presence of the entire community, in a home, a park or other venue. The Ethical Culture Leader will set the tone, speaking of the joy, wonder, responsibility and need to create a human world for the child we are welcoming into the human community. Parents often speak, followed by those who wish to share their good wishes. Sometimes we recognize those special people who pledge to care for the child in case the parents cannot. Music and poetry are often components of the welcoming ceremony.