This Day in History:, The First World War
Christmas Truce.
December 25, 1914.
The Christmas Truce of 1914
came only five months after
the outbreak of war in Europe.
It was one of the last examples
of the outdated notion of chivalry
between enemies in warfare.
Just after dawn on Christmas day,
German troops emerged unarmed from their
trenches singing Christmas carols.
They crossed no man's land,
calling out “Merry Christmas”
in their enemies’ native tongues.
The soldiers exchanged gifts of cigarettes
and plum pudding with each other.
There was even a documented case of soldiers from
opposing sides playing a good-natured game of soccer