As someone who blends holiday traditions, believe me, peace binds it all together. The universal message of peace is always in season.
Throughout the holidays we sing of Peace on Earth and Good Will Towards...Men!?!
OK, here's a good place to start.
Isn't it about time we ditched the men-only lingo?
Now that we have that straightened out...
What do you do about family members who don't exude peaceful, easy feelings?
Embedded in my Steps For Creating Peace...Someday post is one of my favorite holiday songs -- Stevie Wonder's, Someday At Christmas.
Don't you just love that song?
Becoming Minimalist addressed the gift of creating overdue family peace...
5 Steps To Create Peace At Home
1. Determine to be responsible for your attitude, not others. (I'll let the over 90 yr-old relatives off the hook on the...Good Will Towards Men-thing.) 2. Embrace humility and forgive. (Not touching this.) 3. Accept disagreement and put it behind you. (Easy. Done.) 4. Take the first step. (Here you go...) 5. Create a Peace Wreath.
Let's share peace, even with those who push non-peaceful buttons. Create a handmade spin on the traditional holiday wreath.
DIY Peace Wreath
What you need:
4 wire hangers or a wreath form floral wire wire cutters pliers evergreen branches
What to do:
1. With the pliers straighten two coat hangers and form them into a circle. 2. Hook the ends together by twisting the wire. 3. Bend the other hanger wire into a circle making sure it is about 1″ smaller than the first one. 4. Hook the ends together, forming a circle. 5. Take the fourth hanger and cut and wrap it to form a peace symbol in the inside circle 6. Cut branches to 4-6″ lengths. 7. Gather the branches into bundles. 8. Secure the bundles with the floral wire. 9. Lay a bundle on the form and tightly wrap it with wire. 10. Without cutting the wire, add another bundle so that it overlaps the bottom half of the previous one. 11. Repeat around. 12. Cover peace symbol in the same overlapping manner. 13. Make a wire loop on top or use the hanger hook to attach.
Don't forget to add a note and include one of these quotes:
“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means at which we arrive at that goal.” Martin Luther King, Jr. “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” Jimi Hendrix “Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace is its own reward.” Mahatma Gandhi “All we are saying is give peace a chance.” John Lennon