Lara Celini

21/01/2025

09/01/2025

Lights, Camera, Climate Action!

We joined dozens of other members of Scotland outside Holyrood this week to demand urgent, meaningful action to tackle the climate crisis. Here's our Community Engagement Manager Lara with her clapperboard 📷 😎

There can be no more delay in delivering robust and fair climate action across all parts of our society, bringing much-needed benefits to people in Scotland and around the world.

That's why we, along with Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, are demanding:

🍃 Cleaner, greener, safer travel for everyone
🍃 Warmer, cheaper to heat homes
🍃 Support for farmers, crofters, and fishers to manage our land and seas in ways that restore and protect nature
🍃 Good green jobs to transform the economy
🍃 A fast, fair phase out of fossil fuels

02/01/2025

Happy New Year!

Words from ‘Words to live by’ by Donna Ashworth:

When I say ‘happy new year’,
I’m not for a moment,
expecting this to occur,
for that is not possible,
a year must be all things.

Happiness must come and go,
like the tides and the winds,
just as sadness,
and all the emotions in between.

When I say ‘happy new year’,
I’m really wishing you,
a baseline of peace,
of gratitude.

Because if you can sit with these things,
for the most part,
happiness will thrive,
when it does arrive,
and sadness will know its place in the mix.

If you can nourish these things,
daily,
you will also grow hope,
for it flourishes in such soil.

And hope is the key,
to this enigmatic state
of ‘happiness’ we seek.

When I say ‘happy new year’,
I’m really wishing you more happy days,
than sad days,
more joy than misery,
more laughter than tears…
and the wisdom to accept,
that they all belong.

Happy new year, my friends.
Happy new year.

(Photo taken by my sister)

30/12/2024

"What sets curling apart from many other sports is its ethos of sportsmanship and mutual respect, enshrined in what is known as 'The Spirit of Curling'. Players are expected to be honest, congratulate their opponents’ good shots, and prioritise enjoyment over winning."

What does this time of mean to humanists? For our CEO Fraser Sutherland, ’tis the season of curling. He's been playing for 24 years and believes the sport embodies humanist values.

https://buff.ly/3BxwltN

30/12/2024

What a year it's been. With religious authoritarianism on the march around the world, it's worth taking some time to celebrate the many victories for humanism in 2024.

Here's our news and campaigns round up of 2024, with milestones and big moments in the battles for , , , and more.

https://buff.ly/3Dgnai9

25/12/2024

Happy secular winterval festivities!

From your friendly local humanists.

23/12/2024

OOO 😮 Out-of-office time. Yes, that's me taking some time off to spend with family and friends, but fear not I will still be picking-up email intermittently.

Wishing you a peaceful festive season and a happy new year when it rolls in. I'm away to roast some chestnuts!

18/12/2024

Ana and Tudor had an outdoor ceremony on a beautiful winter's day in West Linton. The pair were married by humanist celebrant Lara Celini for their relaxed ceremony in crisp white surroundings with the sun peeking through ❄️ ✨ 💐

With weather conditions more difficult and unpredictable at this time of year a huge benefit of booking a Humanist Society Scotland celebrant is our CEREMONY PROMISE. We have a backup cover process which means that in the unlikely event of an emergency preventing your chosen celebrant from delivering your ceremony we will find you a replacement celebrant, from our network of over 130 celebrants across Scotland and your day can go ahead as planned. So, if a winter wedding is what you’re after, get in touch and know you’ll have the added peace of mind of our ceremony promise!

05/12/2024

Just taking a moment to say thank you to ALL the amazing volunteers out there! Including ours of course! The world 🌍 is better because of you!

If you are interested in volunteering with Humanist Society Scotland get in-touch.

Volunteer Edinburgh Volunteer Scotland

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"
- Martin Luther King J

Its 2024

Thanks to all of our volunteers here in Scotland and across the global humanist movement for giving their time, energy and expertise to making the world a more secular, rational, and socially equal place. Thank you!

Here's our Glasgow group at their event on how the world eats with author Julian Baggini, one of the many brilliant events organised by our local groups this year.

01/12/2024

countdown!

It's that time of year again...

The countdown to begins today. But lots of us get tired of the commercialism and stress of the season. In this article from last year, our Community Engagement Manager Lara Celini explains her alternative celebration of Festivus. The origins of the day are varied, from the Roman poet Plautus to the sitcom Seinfeld!

Read more here:

https://buff.ly/49qxNuN

29/11/2024

MPs have voted in favour of historic legislation: The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill received 330 ayes and 275 noes, a majority of 55 votes.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has passed its Second Reading.

A historic first step to meet the aspirations of the public, who overwhelmingly support having choice, dignity, and compassion at the end of their lives.

29/11/2024

I had a couple exchange keyrings 🗝️ instead of rings. It is wonderful that there is so much choice and freedom to do it your way. Get in-touch if you'd like me to help you craft the ceremony you want, that reflects your personality and wishes.

Did you know there are actually no prescribed vows in Scottish marriage ceremonies? The only must is a few words that Scots Law insists upon (“I [name] accept [name] in marriage”). Some of our celebrants spoke to Your Scottish Wedding recently to bust some common wedding ceremony myths!

Gary J Smith Humanist Celebrant said, “Some to-be-weds think that if you’re to be married by a celebrant you have to include symbolic gestures, such as handfasting or drinking from the quaich.

“They also think you must exchange rings. But that’s not the case.

“Whilst symbolic gestures and exchanging rings are still really popular and make for a meaningful part of many wedding ceremonies, they do not have to be included.
“Like all things in your ceremony (apart from the legal declaration, of course) the content is completely up to you!

“Instead of exchanging rings some couples pin tartans onto each other’s clothes, exchange watches or get tattoos.”

Check out the full article, link in comments 👇

28/11/2024

A brilliant night, our supporters are the best company!

Yesterday our supporters enjoyed a wonderful evening with Richard Wiseman and Christopher Brookmyre at Hotel du Vin in Edinburgh. Good food in good company with good chat, and an opportunity to donate and support our vital campaign work.

After a warm welcome from Humanist Society Scotland Chair Jennifer the Humanist, guests enjoyed a delicious three course dinner, a campaign update from Chief Executive Fraser Sutherland, and the highlight of the evening, a conversation between guest speakers Professor Richard Wiseman and Christopher Brookmyre. We learned about their early influences and motivations, the books that shaped their lives, and how swearing can reduce pain, amongst other things!

Thank you to everyone that came! And of course to those who donated. If you haven't, you still can here: https://buff.ly/4eTzXDY

16/11/2024

Chris Brookmyre was a journalist before becoming a full-time novelist with the publication of his award-winning debut Quite Ugly One Morning, which established him as one of Britain’s leading crime authors. And this is the book we'll be discussing at our next book group meeting online.

His novels have sold more than two million copies in the UK alone, but this is the first of his that I have read! It's an easy enjoyable read, so dip in!

15/11/2024

Time to say AYE to a Fossil Fuel Non-proliferation Treaty first minister!

12/11/2024

Join me on Thursday!

joining Eco-humanists on Thursday 14 November outside the Scottish Parliament to take part in an action for climate crisis.

11/11/2024

What's humanism all about? Sign up to our free HumanKind newsletter and find out. You'll get updates on our work on assisted dying, reproductive rights, secularism, fighting climate change, curbing the role of religion in education, and more.

https://buff.ly/3YuikWY

10/11/2024

Every year, humanist celebrants across Scotland take part in remembrance ceremonies. We do so to represent Scotland’s secular majority, and to commemorate lives lost in war from a position of compassion, empathy, and respect for all human life. Wreaths will be laid on behalf of Humanist Society Scotland by Celebrants in Angus, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hawick, Latheron, and Wick.

Robbie Sharpe, Humanist Celebrant and a former Royal Air Force veteran will represent the Society at The Lord Provost’s Wreath Laying Party at the Annual Service of Remembrance. This will take place at the Stone of Remembrance, City Chambers, Edinburgh on Sunday 10 November, 11am.

A Remembrance Day ceremony at the University of Strathclyde on Monday 11th November at 10.30am is open to all. For the past seven years, every Remembrance ceremony at the university has been humanist. Jennifer Buchan, Humanist Society Scotland celebrant, and humanist chaplain for The University of Strathclyde (since 2016) has written six of them. The ceremony is open to everyone and takes place in the foyer of the Royal College Building, 204 George Street, Glasgow. (It can be cold, so wrap up warm)