Did you know that the word carol comes from the Old French word carole, meaning a circle dance with singing? It was pagan tradition long before it was a Christian one. Sunday Assemblies love a good singalong, but this month 2 will be dedicating their events exclusively to belting out holiday songs.

Winter Solstice is coming! If there's no Winter Solstice celebration near you, you can participate on Sunday, December 21st by lighting a candle or a fire, setting your intentions, connecting with loved ones, or however you want to dedicate the shortest day of the year and the return of the light.

It can be difficult to care for others long term without getting burnt out. Ryan McCune is a former children and therapist who looks at how we can create a greater capacity for compassion through curiosity, empathy, and a strong foundation.

🎶Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars🎶 Our moon has been interpreted across human history as a deity, a timekeeper, a symbol in myth and religion, and an enduring muse for artists and writers.

Year in Reviews are all the rage these days! It seems like every app now wants to tell us what our year has looked like with them. But we can also use this time of year to do our own reflection on how our Life Happened this year. What shaped us? Surprised us? Challenged us? Connected us?

🌞 Weston-Super-Mare is starting a brand-new Sunday Assembly! It will be a place for community, joy, thought-provoking ideas, music, reflection, and connection. No dogma. Just people coming together to celebrate life.

Here at Sunday Assembly, we're all about celebrating, and making the best of, the one life that we know we have because one day it will end. But should death be something to fear, or something that brings meaning to our lives?

How was it for you? Like most years, 2025 has seen its share of good things and not-really-quite-so-good things - but we believe that highs should be celebrated as part of a community and that lows shouldn't have to be faced alone. It's kind of our bag, baby.

Who says January has to be ‘that sad month after December’? Join Sunday Assembly London and Quantum Leopard on 22nd January for an evening of shared laughter, well-crafted comedy and birthday joy!

Poetry and performance have been a part of Sunday Assembly since it started 12 years ago; there's more than one way to communicate! Here's one of Sunday Assembly London's favourite poet photos: Lydia Daisy.

Jane Goodall dedicated her life to erasing the arbitrary line between humans and animals, proving chimpanzees display intentionality, grief, and complex tool use. Her groundbreaking legacy inspires us to recognize and respect the deep kinship we share with all life. 🦍🌱

How can we find happiness in difficult times? In The Book of Joy, the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu outline 8 pillars of joy in order to help us detach our happiness from our external circumstances: 1. Perspective allows us to view situations with a wider lens to find hope (con't ⬇️)

Volunteering can make a huge difference in people's lives, and your actions, big and small, can help others and benefit your own health. Those health benefits include improved physical and mental health, a sense of purpose and learning valuable skills, and nurturing new and existing relationships.

Did you know there is a women-led, nonpartisan group driving climate literacy and advocacy called The CLEO Institute? They have mobilized community action to leverage over $500 million in federal funding for climate solutions, while also pioneering youth networks and equity plans.

More than 80 organizations that provide health care for women all over the world received grants Wednesday totaling $250 million from Melinda French Gates after a year-long application process.

The food pantry at Brashear High School is open once a week, and each student gets about five minutes to shop. Any snacks they don't take often go to teachers, to offer to hungry pupils. n.pr/47NnEYp

How we treat veterans, and what we choose to learn from them, reveals whether we value human life or just national pride. If we truly honor their service, we’ll listen to their stories, confront the cost of war, and demand that political power never outweigh human worth.

This Veterans Day, we should talk to veterans about what war means, and for what reasons - if any - war should be considered. From The Humanist archives: https://thehumanist.com/commentary/how-do-we-honor-veterans-by-learning-from-their-experiences

Ah, that sense of satisfaction when you've tinkered with a wee broken thing and brought it back to life! #NailedIt! Brighton's Shirley Eborn shared her story of making clothes & costumes leading to sustainable fashion through volunteering with Brighton Repair Café with Sunday Assembly Brighton.

What assemblies are up to: Deborah Bird brought mammal skulls and shared a fascinating talk on the natural world with Sunday Assembly Los Angeles. Jeff Sargeant gave an update from his trip to the Sunday Assembly international conference. 😍

Happy 12th Birthday to he Sunday Assemblies in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Silicon Valley! Sunday Assembly is a place of love and compassion where, no matter your situation, you are welcomed, accepted, loved, and encouraged to live your best life.

Have you heard of the vocal-auditory feedback loop? The mechanism by which your brain adjusts vocal pitch, volume, and quality based on what your ears perceive you to sound like is called the Lombard effect. In 1909, Lombard observed that people in noisy environments involuntarily speak louder.

Studying doomsday prophecies offers fascinating insights into human psychology. Why do movements/cults persist after doomsday predictions miss? Analyzing common prophetic failures (like the Millerites' history), we can learn valuable lessons about belief, cognitive dissonance, and self-deception.

Myths of toughness, dominance, and emotional stoicism have shaped generations and left many men disconnected from themselves and others. What have we lost by trying to 'man up'? Instead, tenderness, play, and presence can be reclaimed as strengths, helping us move beyond stereotypes.

Optimism for space exploration is soaring thanks to three things: 1. Commercial reusable rockets slashing costs 2. Matured technology (like ISRU) 3. Clear goals from programs like NASA's Artemis initiative to establish a Moon presence The new space age is here!

Our brains tend to focus on the bad, a survival mechanism to detect threats. This can strain relationships and stop us from living our best lives. The antidote? Gratitude. Get in the habit of practicing gratitude by writing one thing you're thankful for every day this month. #GratefulNovember!

Has the thought of a child without a birthday cake ever crossed your mind? Unfortunately, it happens all the time. Thankfully, there is a network of cake bakers who deliver free custom homemade birthday cakes to at-risk and underserved youth through the program Cake4Kids. #HelpOften

Are we thinking less critically? There's a growing concern that critical thinking skills are declining in schools, leading to challenges in navigating complex information and making informed decisions.

Ready spore some fun(gi) in Edinburgh this weekend? Head on over to Sunday Assembly Edinburgh for some mycelium networking. And songs and tea.

A few moments of awareness during the day can boost your calm, focus and friendliness 🧘

🎉Congratulations to Sunday Assembly North Idaho on celebrating one year! 🎉 "In just one year, we’ve built something truly special together — a community that celebrates life, curiosity, and connection."

Cursing is rarely a symbol of low class. It's often a mark of high authenticity. Evidence: Swearing predicts higher rates of honesty and integrity. It signals a willingness to prize candor over courtesy. A little profanity can show that you're being real and you do give a damn.

The highest compliment from someone who disagrees with you is not “You were right.” It’s “You made me think.” Good arguments help us recognize complexity where we once saw simplicity. The ultimate purpose of debate is not to produce consensus. It’s to promote critical thinking.

'Astronomers' is an anagram for 'moon starers.'

🎶 🎤 Did you know that singing in a group is good for us? It releases feel-good hormones that ⬆️ mood and ⬇️ anxiety, depression, and loneliness. When we sing together, we breathe in unison, feel each other’s emotions, and grow more connected — often even more than when we talk. Sources ⬇️

Sunday Assembly Atlanta's Promoween will be a night of spooky fun, line dancing, and costumes. People of all genders and orientations are welcome to dance, connect, and express themselves freely. Dress to express—formal, funky, or full-on Halloween glam! 👻🎃💀

on 10/19, Sunday Assembly Gainesville will hear about "Friends of the Library: A Hundred Thousand Books and More."

Halloween is fast approaching, so UCSD spooky sound effects maven Scott Paulson will regale SA San Diego with All Things Theremin. The Theremin, a curious and haunting musical instrument that was invented around 1918 by Russian physicist Lev Theremin, is played by waving your hands near 2 antennae.

A growing body of evidence supports that practicing meditation has a variety of benefits from reducing stress and anxiety to improving our focus, memory, happiness, and relationships. on 10/19, Sunday Assembly East Bay will learn some meditation techniques from the book How to Train a Happy Mind.

After we're gone, what's left behind? As the days shorten and the green around us begins to die back, we can reflect on what we will leave behind when we depart this mortal coil - the material possessions, the loved ones, the memories, and our impact on the world. Join SA Pittsburgh on 10/19

Deconstruction of one's faith can be a long, difficult process, but there are secular and trauma-informed groups dedicated to providing support, resources, and community. Some of those organizations are listed in the comments.

People with synaesthesia (where senses merge) may have a language learning edge! Seeing letters as colours (Grapheme-Colour Synaesthesia) creates a visual memory aid, helping the brain "see" and retain linguistic patterns. #WonderMore

Did you know that receiving treats on Halloween comes from an old English custom called souling? Children and the poor would go door-to-door on All Souls' Day and All Saints' Day to offer up prayers for the dead in exchange for soul cakes, a small flatbread with spices, raisins, and currants.

How can AI empower us instead of replace us? When AI is human-centered, it can - automate mundane tasks - enhance productivity and efficiency - extend human capabilities - enhance creativity and innovation and - personalize education

From the early 1400s on, white European explorers had conquered foreign lands throughout the world. Why did they believe they could take over already settled lands? Under the Doctrine of Discovery, developed by the Catholic Church, non-Christian lands were considered "empty" or terra nullius.

Myths & folktales belonged to the people, told, retold, and reshaped across generations; modern myths are controlled by giant corporations. But today's fanfiction is a form of cultural resistance, creating space for diverse, disabled, and queer voices often erased from corporate narratives.

Is there a risk of knowing too much in genetics? Our growing knowledge of genetic codes opens up new questions about what humanity, academics, and individuals should do with insights into the biological machinery that is the human body. Sunday Assembly Seattle will jump into this on October 12.

SA Nashville will stick their noses into banned books. Stephen King told kids “run, don't walk, to the nearest nonschool library or to the local bookstore and get whatever it was that they banned … because that's exactly what you need to know.” Our speaker will be author and librarian Lisa Bubert.

Starting off #glasgow @sundayassembly.bsky.social this morning! So lovely to see everyone and especially more locals. Michelle and the crew have done a fantastic job.

Day 2 of the #glasgow @sundayassembly.bsky.social gathering after a lovely evening dancing! Band getting warmed up.