Humanist Society of Gainesville

This post comes a little late. For most of us, the holidays are mostly over. Here, however, is a thought from our President, Jim Sullivan:

“Frequently at this time of year we find ourselves a part of large or small family gatherings that include both believers and non-believers.  In an effort to be inclusive I have used the following Grace at gatherings of my family.

‘We gather at a special time.  It is special for a number of reasons.  Our ancient ancestors who lived thousands of years ago celebrated at this time because they recognized that the daylight hours stopped decreasing and began increasing again, marking the natural end of the year and promising the beginning of a new year, a time we now call the Winter Solstice.  In the Jewish religion this is the time of Hanukkah and in the Christian religion it is the time of Christmas.  Across all traditions humans have recognized that we as social beings tend to thrive when we acknowledge our oneness with each other and behave in a responsible and caring manner.  May our time together encourage us to renew our commitments to each other, our mother the earth, and all who share this planet with us.’ “

How do you handle holiday greetings? What do you do if asked to say grace?