Ceremonies and Celebrations for Humanists:
There is a wide range of opinion on this subject. Some Humanists feel that ceremonies too closely resemble religious
traditions and should be avoided. Others don't and see ceremonies as a way of celebrating achievements,
commitment, and stages of life (including its end) and recognize these events can happen without religious trappings.
If you want to have a major ceremony like a marriage or funeral and need someone to conduct it, one place to start is
with a Unitarian-Universalist minister. UUs don't have a specific religious creed and will gladly work with people of
any belief (or lack of belief) as long as this belief respects the dignity of our fellow humans. You may want to
interview several UU ministers to find a perfect personality match. More information at www.uua.org The Humanist
Society certifies a list of people who perform ceremonies in a humanist style. There are usually several in each state.
For a list of these people, called Humanist Celebrants, go to www.humanist-society.org and click on "list of
celebrants".
You can often write and conduct your own ceremonies but be careful, some ceremonies like marriages would
probably not be legally recognized. Others like a conducting a memorial service after a death would be perfectly
legal and are usually very touching. In the last case, you would need to talk with your funeral director before they
even accept the body, but they are usually quite agreeable. If they aren't, find another. The following link will take
you to a memorial speech I gave for a man with IDD I had known for many years and who lived in an institution. I
offer it as an example just to show that you can make a memorial speech (which moved many people) without
mentioning religion. funeral speech
Remember, though, often people experienced at conducting ceremonies do the best job of it.
“...Humanism is the viewpoint that people have but one life to lead and should make the most of it in
terms of creative work and happiness; that human happiness is its own justification and requires no
sanction or support from supernatural sources; and that in any case the supernatural, usually
concieved of in the form of heavenly gods or immortal heavens, does not exist; and that human
beings, using their own intelligence and cooperating liberally with one another, can build an enduring
citadel of peace and beauty upon this earth.”
From the Philosophy of Humanism by Corliss Lamont
Presented by the Humanism Study Group, October 19, 1997