A Christmas Anecdote from A World Undone, G.J. Meyer's History of the Great War

This is an incident that took place during the first Christmas of World War I. I came across this story in G.J. Meyer's excellent history titled A World Undone. I find the story simultaneously beautiful and sad.

In Flanders, where there had been so much horror, 1914 ended with a strange spontaneous eruption of fellow feeling. On Christmas morning, in their trenches opposite the British near Ypres, German troops began singing carols and displaying bits of evergreen decorated in observance of the occasion. The Tommies too began to sing. Cautiously, unarmed Germans began showing themselves atop their defenses. Some of the British did the same. Step by step this led to a gathering in no-man's-land of soldiers from both sides, to exchanges of food and cigarettes, even to games of soccer.

This was the Christmas Truce of 1914, and in places it continued for more than a day. The generals, indignant when they learned of it, made certain that nothing of the kind would happen again.

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As we celebrate this holiday season, let us remember those in less than ideal circumstances. Two wars are currently tearing apart many hearts. Countless others are experiencing their first Christmas without a special loved one--parent, child, spouse, close friend. May 2024 be a year of healing for each of you.

Marry Christmas and the very best to all in the year to come.