Sunday Assembly is, as you will know, a global network of ‘secular congregations’. We are explicitly non-religious (though not anti-religious, as I wrote last time). What does this mean at Christmas time? Do we ignore it completely, going to bed early on December 25th having eaten fried eggs with a mug of cocoa? No.
Christmas has a religious (Christian) element, I admit. Actually, the early Christians added their celebrations onto existing pagan traditions. The time around the end of December is an important one in many ways; the darkest time of year (in the northern hemisphere), the coldest time, nothing much is growing, there is little work to do in the fields. It’s time to be indoors for most of the day. Then after the December 21st the days start (very slowly) to lengthen again. The world is turning, the sun is starting to come back, and it’s a moment to celebrate the start of a new cycle.
This moment is a significant one for all of us. The History Cooperative website summarises it like this:
The origins of Christmas can be traced back to the ancient Roman and Norse civilizations. In fact, 25th December was not even Jesus’ date of birth. The early Christians appropriated what was originally a pagan holiday because it was convenient. Before that, the people of ancient Europe had celebrations of the pagan god Saturn or even Odin at the end of December to mark the shortest day of the year. Indeed, many of the Christmas traditions we have today come from these ancient festivals. Examples of this include kissing under the mistletoe and decorating trees.
So Christmas involves most people one way or another. Even many from other faiths will join in with the celebrations, the food, the gift-giving and so on. And Sunday Assemblers are no exception! We have no dogma, so the field is open for each assembly chapter to find its own way to mark the festive season. Here are some of the things you can find at Sunday Assembly in December 2025.
Singing pop songs together is one of our key traditions. In London, there’s the legendary Yule Rock (get it?), a whole evening of mass festive singing with a live band. This year it’s on Friday 12 December at Rich Mix in Shoreditch, E1. The host will be comedian, presenter and geek songstress Helen Arney (who also played oboe in the very first Sunday Assembly band back in January 2013!). Get your tickets here. (Yes, I know that not charging for assemblies is a requirement of our charter – but this isn’t an assembly, it’s a fund-raiser as well as a darned good night out.)
Sunday Assembly Folkestone in Kent, England were also belting out some festive classics, as will many assemblies this month.
Many assemblies (even more than usual) will be have communal meals in December. For example, both Edinburgh and Glasgow have potluck lunches where people bring food to share and stay after the assembly to enjoy a bit more of everyone’s company. Glasgow also have a ‘secret Santa’ book swap – bring a gift-wrapped book and take home another one! SA Edinburgh had a short quiz to help the lunch go down, led by gamesmeister Andy Mallarkey. At least nine assemblies are holding festive parties this year, including Nashville, Silicon Valley and Detroit.
Some assembles ‘big up’ the natural turning of the year by celebrating the winter solstice, the shortest day, on Sunday 21 December. SA Atlanta have an annual solstice walk. Join them for sunset of the longest night of the year, and contemplate what you might leave behind in that darkness (metaphorically) to emerge changed in the new year as light returns. Details here.
SA San Diego are having their solstice walk a day earlier, on Saturday 20th December in Balboa Park. It’s a relaxed, accessible twilight walk - ideal for beginners and anyone seeking a calm, social, reflective vibe. Details here. SA Seattle has a ‘walking lights’ meetup on Sunday 14 December – details here.
SA Sacramento join the growing number of Humanlight celebrations. HumanLight is a festive holiday that is humanity-based and entirely secular — not based on any supernatural, religious or theistic beliefs. It is not derived from any other holiday and is not an attempt to change or “secularize” any existing religious holiday. By celebrating and expressing positive human values, such as reason, compassion and hope, the HumanLight holiday has a vibrant and authentic meaning for the secular, non-theistic, freethought and humanist communities. The Sacramento event is on Sunday 14 December – details here.
Sunday Assembly North Idaho, one of our newest assemblies, are celebrating their first birthday on Sunday 27 December. Congratulations to the team there. Details here.
This is not a comprehensive list. It gives you an idea of what goes on around this time of year at Sunday Assemblies. Want to get involved? Find your local assembly on our map.
A couple of extra items this time.
SA Manila in the Phillippines have started holding assemblies every quarter. The next is on Sunday 28 December https://www.facebook.com/events/s/q4-sunday-assembly-manila/1363792205381294/
Sunday Assembly Weston Super Mare will be starting up in January! Weston Super Mare is a seaside town to the south west of Bristol in the UK. Their first assembly will be on Sunday 11 January 2026. Follow their Facebook page for more information. https://www.facebook.com/sundayassemblywsm
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