When Pope Benedict appealed for peace a few weeks before Christmas in 1914, his pleas fell on deaf ears among the command of both German, and British armies. Those who were face to face in the trenches of the Western Front, however, declared their own unofficial Christmas Truce in a number of locations on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day of 1914. Some ventured into no-mans land to exchange gifts, and souvenirs, while others, at least it is rumored, broke out in spontaneous games of football (soccer), and most all of them sang the same Christmas Carols to each other in their own languages. The simple fact that both sides still saw each other as human beings at this early stage in the war, allowed the opposing armies rank and file to come together for a Christmas Truce, and briefly enjoy the spirit of the season, even among some of the most terrible acts of war imaginable.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 22:47:31 +0000
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