When Christmas halted a world war

During World War I, on Christmas Day 1914, cannon and rifle fire faded in many sectors of the Western Front. Fighting gave way to holiday celebrations in the trenches and gestures of goodwill between enemies. Allied and German troops let each side recover and bury fallen comrades from No Man’s Land. In some areas they chorused carols at the top of their voices in their respective languages: English, French, Deutsch. Playful soldiers crawled to the enemy side to throw not grenades but chocolates and medicines. Two weeks earlier Pope Benedict XV had called for momentary halt to hostilities to mark Christmas in peace and prayer. The warring governments ignored the appeal. Nonetheless frontline troops spontaneously silenced their guns to demonstrate that they all were brothers – children of one God.

How exactly the Christmas Truce of 1914 started may never be known. But there are countless personal and official accounts from both sides on what transpired. One first-hand testimony is about a British regiment that spent Christmas Eve humming carols to stay awake against possible attack. At first light of next dawn German soldiers climbed out of trenches and approached them shouting “Merry Christmas” in English. The British thought it was a ruse and braced for battle. But when they saw that the Germans were unarmed and offering cigarettes and plums, they climbed out too and shook hands with the foes. It turned out that two of the Germans had once lived in England. One of them requested an Englishman to say hi to an ex-sweetheart from the same town who was then probably married.

In another zone the Allies and Germans spent Christmas dawn trying to outdo each other in caroling. The latter decidedly won because accompanied by a brass band. Then they emerged from trenches and met in the middle of No Man’s Land to exchange gifts, news about favorite soccer teams, and latest match results. The afternoon was spent in an impromptu soccer game.

In yet another front on the Eve, as the enemies took turns singing carols to each other, a French sergeant suggested that they cease firing till 4 a.m. of Christmas to gather their wounded and dead from No Man’s Land. They went about the task of tending to the dying and digging graves. The truce extended till dawn of Boxing Day, as they also repaired their trenches and dugouts.

Generals of both sides disapproved of the fraternizing, wary that it would soften the will to fight. In the week leading up to Dec. 25, 1914, soldiers from the British, French, and German lines would dash across the battlefield to greet and pelt the enemy with candies and bandages. In some zones meals were shared and souvenirs exchanged. The soldiers, most barely out of their teens, were simply exhausted from five months of stalemate at the Aisne region to spend the season of joy killing each other. All initially had expected the war to last only two months at worst. They defied warnings of stern punishment for befriending the enemy, and did what came naturally to them, to share the gift of life.

While the Christmas Truce (German: Weihnachtsfrieden; French: Trêve de Noël) was widespread, fierce skirmishes raged in some sectors on Christmas Day. Shelling and death throes marred the day of merriment. Full-scale war resumed by New Year 1915. Soon followed the use of poison gas and the slaughter at the Somme and Verdun. The generals made sure there were no more truces in succeeding Christmases of World War I. But man’s desire for peace is irrepressible. Sporadic ceasefires still were forged, not only on Christmas, and not only for the duration of World War I. There were overt displays of non-aggression on Holy Week, and tacit agreements to not shoot at troops resting

Guns silenced across No Man’s Land, as enemies chorused carols, exchanged souvenirs, and shared meals.

or exercising.

During the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, 1944, there was also an unexpected truce and sharing of Christmas dinner by three American and four German soldiers. I’ll reserve that story for next Christmas. But those who can’t wait can look it up in https://owlcation.com/humanities/About-World-War-2A-Small-Christmas-Truce.

A meaningful Christmas to all. Our dear Fatima Soriano, inspirational singer and prayer leader, needs help. She had a second kidney transplant last Dec. 8, Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Thank God it was successful; Fatima is in stable condition and recovering well. But some hospital bills need settling. It being the second (the first was in 2004), the procedure was high risk. Preparations were critical, like plasmapheresis and ATG to eliminate other antibodies.

Donations may be deposited to the account of Ma. Fatima V. Soriano, Banco de Oro-Mo. Ignacia, QC branch, No. 00563040063. Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., DWIZ (882-AM).

Gotcha archives on Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/pages/Jarius-Bondoc/1376602159218459, or The STAR website http://www.philstar.com/author/Jarius%20Bondoc/ GOTCHA H