Celebration of Human Light (HumanLight)

Humanism, compassion and love for one's neighbor are human values, the relevance of which is not questioned Each of us has the right to happiness, freedom of will and self-determination People who do not believe in higher powers and God approach life rationally, critically assessing the events taking place in it Paying tribute to the intelligence and fortitude of everyone who relies on the power of their intellect, humanists and their supporters celebrate the Festival of Human Light on December 23 This worldview system is based on the dignity and value of the individual, his right to happiness and the free search for the meaning of life The light of reason, and not divine power, as followers of various religious movements believe, can help a person in this Every year in December, believers celebrate various holidays: Catholics - Christmas, Jews - Hanukkah, Chinese and other Asian peoples - Dongzhi (winter solstice), the black population of the USA - Kwanzaa December also marks the Festival of Human Light, which is not associated with religious cults and is their alternative Humanists from New Jersey first started talking about HumanLight in 2001 Supporters of the philosophical movement, which proclaims human freedom, dignity and self-expression as the highest value, decided to draw public attention to the value of reason and critical perception of the world Ideas have not lost their relevance since the Renaissance - the heyday of this worldview In 2004, the holiday was officially recognized by the American Humanist Association, which includes agnostics, atheists and other freethinkers The organization is the founder of the International Ethical Union and other societies that defend the human right to independently determine the form and meaning of one’s life Candles of three colors are a symbol of the identity of humanistic values On the holiday of Human Light, it is customary to hold charity auctions and other events On December 23, in support of the ideas of humanism, red candles are lit, representing compassion and love for one's neighbor, blue ones - reason, gold (yellow) - hope Humanists do not fight against religion and beliefs, but, on the contrary, defend the human right to freedom of religion or an atheistic position They convey their beliefs by creating alternatives to traditional religious celebrations That is why the Holiday of Human Light appeared, promoting the highest values ​​- freedom of will, defining oneself as an individual who, despite social status, nationality and other characteristics, has the right to happiness