page_title: HumanLight
section_title: Symbols
hierarchical_section_title: HumanLight / Symbols
caption_attribution_description: English: Candles lit following a Candle Lighting ceremony during a HumanLight celebration, December 23, 2014
context_page_description: HumanLight is a Humanist holiday celebrated annually on December 23. HumanLight was first celebrated in 2001, and was created to provide a specifically Humanist celebration during the western world's holiday season. The New Jersey Humanist Network founded the holiday in 2001 to aid secular people in commemorating the December holiday season without encroaching on other adjacent holidays—both religious ones such as Christmas and secular ones such as Solstice. The inaugural event involved only the founding organization, but is now celebrated by many secular organizations and individuals across the United States and other countries. Various organizations have recognized the holiday, including the American Humanist Association in 2004. The HumanLight Committee maintains the official HumanLight webpage and engages with humanist organizations and the media about the holiday.
  HumanLight is a secular holiday that focuses on the "positive, secular human values of reason, compassion, humanity and hope". While there are no universally accepted ways to commemorate the holiday, modern celebrations typically involve a communal meal among a family or group.
context_section_description: The HumanLight symbol was designed by a volunteer artist; the initial symbol appeared with a single figure, but was adjusted to include three figures in 2009 to reflect the "community nature" of the holiday. The current symbol "depicts the light of the sun, and human figures celebrating with arms outstretched. The font characters composing HumanLight are of a festive, decorative nature."
  There are no universal traditions, but over time the use of candles has become significant. Candles and decorations have at times used the colors blue, red, and yellow/gold, to represent both the colors of the HumanLight symbol as well as reason, compassion, and hope. There are no set colors for candle-lighting ceremonies, and both three and four candle ceremonies have been seen, with a fourth candle representing humanity.
caption: Candle display following a Candle Lighting ceremony during a HumanLight celebration in Germany in 2014
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