Universal Hour of Peace is an hour celebrated annually between 11:30 pm on December 31 to 12:30 am on January 1. It was created by Dr. Barbara Condron, according to Global Peace.

This celebration has been celebrated since October 1995, on the 50^th anniversary of the United Nations. In 1996, it was moved to December and 2020 will be the 25^th time it is recognized at this time.

Dr. Condron created this day because life is extremely stressful. With this pandemic going on, there’s a lot of stress and this celebration is more important than ever before.

During the Universal Hour of Peace, it is common for people to be in a relaxed state of mind and do what they do to remain calm throughout these stressful dark days. It is no coincidence that this day is the same day as New Year’s Eve, finishing the old year and starting off the new year with a healthy, clear, relaxed mind.

Sometimes it is difficult to find your happy place, especially when you’re always around a lot of negativity. One way to reach this place is to meditate and celebrate the hour of peace. If hosting a different celebration during that hour takes precedent, it can be celebrated a different time.

Most formal celebrations for the Universal Hour of Peace, include prayer, music, poetry, or speeches. Gatherings may be large or small, but the effort overall will be to spread the word of peace in every heart and mind regardless of faith.