How to Celebrate National Forgiveness Day

Several organizations and countries sponsor a National Forgiveness Day. CECA began their National Forgiveness Day in 1998, but changed its name from "National" to "Global." The Forgiveness Alliance celebrates with "International Forgiveness Day." Dates vary, but most occur in the summer during the months of June to October. No matter which National Forgiveness Day you celebrate, the same compassion and reconciliation is celebrated.

Instructions

1. Celebrate the human spirit on National Forgiveness Day. We're capable of reconciling differences with the right heart and approach.

2. Make a list of people who have offended you and you them. Prioritize the names.

3. Reflect on how the relationship was before the falling out. Find what went wrong.

4. Contact those people, if possible, to begin the process of reconciliation. Often, a simple "I'm sorry" restores a broken relationship.

5. Think nationally and globally of the ethnic, religious and political problems that destroy families and people. Seek solutions.

6. Write emails to embassies or to any newspaper's "letters to the editor" to comment about the power of forgiveness. Making others aware of your concerns for elevating humanity celebrates the idea behind forgiveness and reconciliation.

7. Organize through your community or faith groups an informational campaign on forgiving one another for a better humanity.

Tips & Warnings

• Celebrating the National Day of Forgiveness focuses on how we wrong each other. It's not just a faith or religious holiday, but a human condition affecting us all. Make a concentrated effort to restore fellowship.

• In India, the Digambar Jain community celebrates Forgiveness Day after a 10- day festival.

• Center for Unconditional Love celebrates the day in October. Forgiveness Alliance and CECA celebrate in August. Check the websites for dates.

Resources

• See forgiveness alliance's site for information on forgiveness day.
• Go to the Center of Unconditional Love to read about their event.
• Go to CECA's site for forgiveness info and date.