Here we are addressing singular occasions that mark indelible life transitions. With this increased weight may come a deeper sense of commitment and, frankly, more challenging preparatory work. All the previous sections are relevant in supporting this depth of work and bear review when endeavoring upon the unique ceremonies that honor life’s great passageways.
These passages come with immense learning and growing, and participants may yearn for more time, support, and guidance for these. These are thresholds of change in which people face “life’s big questions” through the specificity of their own life story. Indeed it is very common and helpful to employ a professional humanist celebrant for these momentous occasions. (You can find a local humanist celebrant endorsed by The Humanist Society. The American Humanist Association’s Center for Education offers online courses for professional celebrants on weddings, end of life, and memorials.) In the case of marriage and divorce, legal support is required.
Here is a list of some ceremonies you can engage in honoring the various stages of life, from the beginning through to the end:
Baby Showers Child Welcomings (Baby Naming, Adoption Arrival, Foster Family Union, Step Child Welcoming) Coming of Age Puberty Rituals Graduations Marriages/Unions/Recommitments Upcouplings Loving Care in Illness Wise Women Transgender/Non-Binary Namings Milestone Birthdays Pre-death Fare-thee-wells Memorials/Funerals
