Peace Symbols Common Image Popular Fingers Olive White

In the United States, there are many common "symbols" (small images and other things that represent other ideas) of peace. These symbols are often used on clothing, "posters" (large pieces of paper with an image on it, meant to be placed on a wall as decoration), and "bumper stickers" (stickers placed on the back end of cars to share messages with other drivers) to show an individual's support for peace and opposition to war.

The most common symbol of peace is a circle with lines dividing it into four smaller sections: ☮.This symbol was particularly popular during the 1960s. It was created as the logo for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the 1950s.

Another popular modern symbol of peace is simply a "hand gesture" (a way of posing one's hand and fingers to present some message) with the index (the finger closest to the thumb) and middle fingers held up in the shape of a ✌.

Older, more traditional symbols of peace include an olive "branch" (part of a tree, like an arm). This has symbolized peace since at least the 5th century BC, especially in Greece, where people believed that it could send away "evil" (not good) spirits.

A white "dove" (a type of bird) is another "ancient" (very old) symbol of peace, and it has a lot of importance in Christian symbolism. Often these two symbols are combined in the image of a white dove flying with an olive branch in its "beak" (the pointed mouth of a bird).