♫ Christmas 1914 ♫ (Annual Redux)

Posted on by under Global Issues, History, Holidays, Political commentary, Social commentary

Since Christmas is tomorrow, I am putting my political snark and opinions on hold for two days in the spirit of the season, trying to set aside my natural snark and grumpiness.  Come Sunday, however, all bets are off and I shall continue to opine as I see fit!  This post is one I have published for the past two years and it was first suggested to me by our friend David.  It is a heartwarming story that never fails to bring a tear or two to my eyes and I hope you will enjoy it again this year!

On December 7, 1914, Pope Benedict XV suggested a temporary hiatus of the war for the celebration of Christmas. The warring countries refused to create any official cease-fire, but on Christmas the soldiers in the trenches declared their own unofficial truce.

Starting on Christmas Eve, many German and British troops fighting in World War I sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines, and at certain points the Allied soldiers even heard brass bands joining the Germans in their joyous singing.

At the first light of dawn on Christmas Day, some German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs. Some Germans lit Christmas trees around their trenches, and there was even a documented case of soldiers from opposing sides playing a good-natured game of soccer. German Lieutenant Kurt Zehmisch recalled …

“How marvelously wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same way about it. Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time.”

The so-called Christmas Truce of 1914 came only five months after the outbreak of war in Europe and was one of the last examples of the outdated notion of chivalry between enemies in warfare. It was never repeated—future attempts at holiday ceasefires were quashed by officers’ threats of disciplinary action—but it served as heartening proof, however brief, that beneath the brutal clash of weapons, the soldiers’ essential humanity endured.

CHRISTMAS 1914
Mike Harding

Christmas Eve in 1914
Stars were burning, burning bright
And all along the Western Front
Guns were lying still and quiet.
Men lay dozing in the trenches,
In the cold and in the dark,
And far away behind the lines
A village dog began to bark.

Some lay thinking of their families,
Some sang songs while others were quiet
Rolling fags and playing brag
To while away that Christmas night.
But as they watched the German trenches
Something moved in No Man’s Land
And through the dark came a soldier
Carrying a white flag in his hand.

Then from both sides men came running,
Crossing into No Man’s Land,
Through the barbed-wire, mud and shell holes,
Shyly stood there shaking hands.
Fritz brought out cigars and brandy,
Tommy brought corned beef and fags,
Stood there talking, singing, laughing,
As the moon shone on No Man’s Land.

Christmas Day we all played football
In the mud of No Man’s Land;
Tommy brought some Christmas pudding,
Fritz brought out a German band.
When they beat us at football
We shared out all the grub and drink
And Fritz showed me a faded photo
Of a dark-haired girl back in Berlin.

For four days after no one fired,
Not one shot disturbed the night,
For old Fritz and Tommy Atkins
Both had lost the will to fight.
So they withdrew us from the trenches,
Sent us far behind the lines,
Sent fresh troops to take our places
And told the guns “Prepare to fire”.

And next night in 1914
Flares were burning, burning bright;
The message came along the trenches
Over the top we’re going tonight.
And the men stood waiting in the trenches,
Looking out across our football park,
And all along the Western Front
The Christmas guns began to bark.

36 thoughts on “♫ Christmas 1914 ♫ (Annual Redux)”

  4. Pingback: Christmas 1914 ( Annual Redux ) | Ramblings of an Occupy Liberal

    • When I view the post, I see the re-blog button to the left of the ‘like’ button, but obviously it isn’t there for you and Roger, so I don’t know what’s going on there! Merry Christmas to you and yours as well, Larry!

      Liked by 2 people

  12. Excellent post Jill.
    There is one of many stories about these events, which runs like this. A German solider who could speak English called out ‘We are a Saxon regiment. You are Anglo Saxons. Why should we be fighting each other?’
    Here’s to soldiers calling across to each other ‘ (bad words) to this war. Fancy a game of soccer?’

    Re-blogged

    Liked by 2 people

  14. Just to let your new readers know, I have shared my thoughts about this event, and related thoughts and feeling, in previous years. I love you, Jill, and all the wondrous things you do. I am so glad to have you back, even if it is not full time.
    Peace on Earth, good will to all living beings. One day there will be no more war. I can only hope it is not because humans have committed humanicide.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Awwww … thank you rg … I love you too! Sadly, I think that when that time comes that there is no more war, the human species will have ensured their own extinction, or humanicide. Sigh. We keep trying, but it’s a losing battle, I fear. LuL

      Liked by 1 person

  15. I’m with you on this. I shared the Mike Harding song earlier in my Advent Calendar. It is a beautiful song, which always brings a tear to my eye, and should be heard by everyone.

    Liked by 3 people

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