How to Do the Peace Sign

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 9, 2023 References

The peace sign is used all over the world. It's easy to make, whether with your hand or by drawing a peace symbol on paper. However, be aware that the signs have different meanings.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a Peace Sign with Your Hand

1
Hold open one hand. Take the hand you want to make the peace sign with, and hold it in front of you, open palmed, with your palm facing away from your body.
- Rake your fingers, excluding your pointer and middle finger, and fold them into your palm like you are making a fist.
- Make sure your thumb is over your other fingers. Raise your index and middle fingers. The index finger is the closest finger to your thumb. It doesn’t matter which hand you use. This is how you make the standard peace sign with your hand,
- Your extended index and middle fingers should form a “V.”
2
Point your palm away from your body. Keep your clenched fingers and palm pointed away from your body. This is very important.
- When you keep your palm facing inward toward yourself, the gesture can be perceived as offensive in some cultures, almost a double middle finger.
- Make sure you put your pointer finger and your middle finger out at the same time. If you put your middle finger out first it can mean something very bad in English (and in many other languages).
- Don't stick out your little finger; this, too, has an alternate, obscene interpretation.
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3
Raise your hand. When done correctly, the peace sign became a counter-cultural symbol of peace in the Vietnam War. Most people raise their hand in the air while making it.
- Some people consider the meaning of the symbol to be a call for an end to war, and some people think of it as a general call for peace in the world.
- Some politicians have made the sign with both hands while raising both arms (Richard Nixon, Dwight Eisenhower).
- This can be a cliche, though, that brings to mind Nixon. Many people just raise one arm when making the sign.
4
Make a “V” sign for victory. When some people see the peace sign, they think of it as a “V” sign that means victory, especially in war. The V sign is also made by holding up the two fingers closest to the thumb in a V formation.
- It doesn’t matter which hand you use. Allied troops started using this hand sign to indicate victory during World War II.^{[1]
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- Winston Churchill used the sign to indicate victory. So did Nixon, in the context of Vietnam. Protesters who were against Vietnam then started using the same sign and saying “peace” as they did it instead, to protest the war. They wanted to change the hand gesture to a symbol of peace.^{[2]
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- The point is to be aware that the hand signal has both a history in the anti-war movement and in representing victory during war.
5
Make the Vulcan peace sign. This sign is another hand signal that derived from the television show, Star Trek. Its meaning is “live long and prosper.”^{[3]
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- To make it, press together the two fingers closest to your thumb at the same time you press together the two fingers farthest away from your thumb.
- The middle of your hand will form the “V” shape when you do this with your fingers. You should keep your thumb extended outward as you do so.
- Historically, the Vulcan was a pagan deity, a sun god who was linked to powerful energy such as thunderbolts.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Drawing a Peace Sign

1
Draw or sketch a peace symbol. In addition to the hand gesture, there is a “peace symbol” that some people think of when they refer to a peace sign. It’s a drawn image.
- To make this symbol, start by drawing a circle. To get a perfect circle, you could draw around a circular object, such as a roll of tape or the bottom of a cup.^{[5]
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- Draw two lines vertically down the middle of the circle to form a band. Use a ruler to make sure that the each edge of the lines is the same distance away from the center of the circle.
- The line should be the same width as the outer circle. This symbol, as used for peace, dates to 1958 when it was drawn by a graduate of the Royal College of Arts in England to protest nuclear war.^{[6]
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2
Put your pen or pencil directly in the middle. Start in the middle point of each of the vertical lines.
- Draw two slanted lines straight from the middle to the outer circle.^{[7]
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- Draw another circle within the circle that is the same width to the outside of the circle as the center and sloping lines inside it.
- Connect the inner circle’s lines to the bands, rather than drawing through them.^{[8]
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3
Use a compass to make the peace symbol. A compass can help you get a perfect circle, and you could use a straight edge to get a straight line.
- When using a compass, make a dot and then create a circle with the compass. Then lower the diameter of the Compass, and draw a second circle within the first.^{[9]
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- Take the straight edge. Draw a straight line down the middle of the circle. Then, draw a second straight line down the middle of the circle.
- Use the straight edge to draw a sloping line from the middle of the vertical line to each outer edge of the circle. The sloping lines should form an upside down V that fills the bottom half of the circle. Then take an eraser and erase all of the lines inside the shapes you created.
4
Draw a dove. The white dove is another traditional symbol of peace. If you draw a white dove, most people know this means peace.
- To solidify the meaning, draw an olive branch in the dove's beak. As with peace signs, the dove can have different meanings, though.
- In Christianity, doves symbolize the Holy Spirit. Doves have also historically represented freedom.^{[10]
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  Research source} Doves are released on wedding days as symbols of purity and to mark the start of a new life.
- Historically, the Greeks felt that the olive branch turned away evil spirits. The dove with olive branch is also said to symbolize hope as well as peace.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Recognizing Different Meanings for Peace Signs

1
Be careful of the peace symbol’s dual meanings. The peace sign and symbol have complicated historical meanings that can resonate differently in cultures and religions.
- Today, the drawn peace symbol is often recognized as a general symbol of peace or anti-war statement.
- In Britain, this symbol is often recognized as representing nuclear disarmament, although elsewhere it’s seen as a general call for peace. However, throughout history, it’s been used for darker purposes.
- For example, Hitler’s 3rd Panzer Division used the drawn peace symbol, and it exists on the tombstones of some SS soldiers.
2
Recognize the Christian symbolism. Some Christians do not like the drawn peace symbol because of its historical meanings.
- It was used as an anti-Christian symbol in 711 AD by the Saracens. They used it to send the message that they could break the Christian cross when they used it on their shields.^{[11]
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- The upside down cross was first used by Christians because Peter the Apostle asked to be crucified with his head hanging down. However, anti-Christian groups then took the upside down cross and used it symbolize the opposite of Christianity.
- Some heavy metal groups have used it. And the symbol has been used to indicate Communist support. The Founder of the church of Satan used the symbol on an altar.
3
Use the peace symbol as an art form. The peace symbol is often used in artwork, tattoos, and on T-shirts and signs. It’s commonly an anti-war symbol when used in this manner.
- An artist famously drew the Eiffel tower inside the circle after the Paris terrorist attacks to emulate the peace symbol. The artist called it “Peace for Paris.” ^{[12]
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- It’s also the number “2” in American sign language. In Asia, the sign is popular because of a peace activist ice skater who used it. There were also Japanese television commercials in the 1970s that used the symbol. The peace sign started to appear in Japanese photos even before that, dating to the 1960s when it appeared in the hippie movement.^{[13]
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  Research source} Today, Japanese people commonly flash it in photos.
- Those who see religious significance in the peace sign or "V” sign link it to rejection of authority and the Roman “V” for the number 5.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I color in the peace symbol?

Community Answer

Sure! Many people do so! They put glitter on it, too. It's often used on tie-dyed shirts. Color inside the lines if you want. It won't change the meaning.
Question

What does the peace sign mean?

Community Answer

It has many meanings. It's often perceived as a general call for world peace or as a statement against war. In Britain, it was created to protest nuclear armament. However, it derived from a "V" for victory sign during World War II. Some Christian groups see it as negative.
Question

Can a heart mean peace?

Community Answer

No; hearts mean love, not peace.

Warnings

Don't turn your hand around. In some countries, using the two fingers in the "peace sign" configuration, with the back of your hand facing away from you is a vulgar sign of contempt.

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Keep your index finger up.

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