HumanLight is a secular Humanist holiday celebrated every year on December 23. Human values of compassion, reason, hope, and humanity are celebrated and expressed on this holiday. Did you know that HumanLight is a holiday that is not rooted in any existing religious tradition? Yes! This day is all about the light of human reason and illuminating a positive vision of a happy and peaceful world. Most people celebrate this day by sharing a meal with friends and family, lighting a candle, or even doing charity work. However one chooses to celebrate, core human values are always at the center.
HISTORY OF HUMANLIGHT
HumanLight parties and celebrations are popular all over the world in the holiday season. The main aim of this holiday is to celebrate humanity and to promote a world where only peace and positivity prevail. The history of the origin of HumanLight is an interesting story. This day was created to provide a humanist celebration during the holiday season of the western world. It was founded by leaders of the “New Jersey Humanist Network” in 2001 to empower secular people in commemorating the December holiday season without disturbing any other holidays — still being in the thick of the holiday season.
This is also the main reason why December 23 was selected as HumanLight Day. The very first public celebration was held in December 2001 in Verona, New Jersey under the leadership of Dr. Paul Kurtz. From then onwards, for all these years, various secular, humanist, and atheist organizations and individuals have adopted HumanLight as a part of their December traditions. But it was only in 2004, that the “American Humanist Association” recognized HumanLight as a critical event that contributes to the growth and development of humanist communities.
HumanLight aims to encourage the celebration and expression of people’s beliefs, no matter if they are different from each other. The holiday does not focus on what people do not believe in. This is a celebration event for all those who are nontheists, nonreligious, freethinkers, atheists, and humanists who value humanity more than anything else. So, celebrate HumanLight and build the humanist community!
HUMANLIGHT TIMELINE
2001: HumanLight is Born
The Leaders of the New Jersey Humanist Network create the holiday.
2004: The Holiday Gets Recognized
The American Humanist Association recognizes HumanLight as a Humanist holiday.
2009: The Remodelling of the Symbol
The initial HumanLight symbol is adjusted to depict the light of the sun and human figures celebrating.
2010: The 10th Anniversary
HumanLight celebrations evolve and get bigger as many secular organizations endorse them.
HUMANLIGHT FAQS
Is it a national holiday?
It is not a designated holiday, but it falls during the holiday season which makes it a part of the December holiday celebration.
What do humanists celebrate?
Humanists celebrate human value and love. Most importantly, humanists celebrate the value of human relations and the importance of those relations.
What do secular humanists believe?
Secular humanists believe in being ethical and moral without religion or belief in a deity. They believe that humans are neither inferior nor superior to anyone.
HOW TO OBSERVE HUMANLIGHT
- Celebrate the values
- There is no regularized way to celebrate HumanLight. However, the celebrations should contain some component that serves someway to express humanist-oriented values positively.
- Celebrate by respecting
- You can celebrate HumanLight by respecting your views and not criticizing any religion. The celebration should be positive and should not affect the views or ideologies of anyone.
- Share your favorite HumanLight story
- Since HumanLight celebration is an ‘open to invention’ celebration, people can celebrate it in any way they want. So, if you have any interesting HumanLight stories, share them on your social media.
5 AWESOME FACTS ABOUT HUMAN VALUES THAT’LL BRING POSITIVE VIBES
- Compassion is not an emotion
- Compassion is not a distinct emotion; it is just a variation of love or sadness.
- Helping others helps you
- According to several studies, helping others can bring us pleasure and joy.
- Secularism is a system
- Secularism denotes a system that promotes equal respect for all religions and beliefs.
- Hope is a state of mind
- Hope is a state of mind that cherishes a desire with anticipation.
- A volunteer designed the initial symbol
- The initial symbol of the HumanLight symbol was designed by a volunteer artist.
WHY HUMANLIGHT IS IMPORTANT
- HumanLight celebrates secularism
- HumanLight is one of the very few festivals in the world that celebrates secularism. We can observe this day by cherishing secularism along with compassion, humanity, and hope.
- It is a much-needed celebration
- In today’s world filled with negativity, hate, and despair, HumanLight aims to fill the world with hope, love, and peace.
- It teaches us about life
- This day teaches us some of the most important things one needs to embrace in life – love, compassion, and secularism.
Source: nationaltoday