The Purpose of the Peace Sign

Our ethos at Politely Rebellious is a belief that politely (and lawfully!) breaking the rules sets us free. What comes with living our dreams and finding our freedom? We create a deep inner peace - and with that belief in our own path, we can be our best Politely Rebellious selves - and share peace and strength with the rest of our community! 

The history of the V sign is something we are all at least mildly aware of. You've probably flashed a peace sign before, using your index and middle fingers to make a V. It originated as a way to show “V” for “Victory” during World War II. 

The modern peace sign was designed by Gerald Holtom for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in 1958. An American student named Philip Altbach persuaded the Student Peace Union to use it. It became very popular, and by the end of the 1960s it had become a universal symbol of peace, frequently used by antiwar protesters against events like the war in Vietnam. American civil rights activists following Martin Luther King picked it up; the "1968ers" and hippies spread it. It began to be ubiquitous, making an appearance on T-shirts, coffee mugs and in art, during this important period. 

Today the symbol is shorthand for peace and hope and can be used freely by anyone. Recently, it’s been seen at refugee camps and climate change protests, as well as at anti-nuclear demonstrations. It even made a re-appearance at the top of the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival. Glastonbury loves the peace sign - the festival also holds the Guinness World Record for the largest human peace sign ever created, when 15,000 people gathered to create it at Glastonbury’s historic stone circle in 2017. With Glastonbury Festival just around the corner, there is no better time than now for another go at it 😉

So, for us at Politely Rebellious it was an absolute no brainer. The peace sign is possibly the most famous protest symbol in the world and has become a lifestyle motif with true power. The reason we love it is because with one image you can convey your peace, love and good intentions to your fellow humans around the world - which is exactly what Politely Rebellious is all about. Being rebellious, but politely, and with good intentions. 

With all that is going on around the world right now, in places like Palestine and Ukraine, we need to be reminded of the battles past fought, the struggles we can resolve and the freedom we are strong enough to find. We believe that you should be kind but be heard and now really is a time to be heard.

Life’s too short, be Politely Rebellious.