Remembering the Christmas Truce of 1914
It is common to regard Christmas as a time of family gatherings, gift giving, and traditions. Today, we often regard Christmas as a moment of fellowship and harmony. But for the people of 1914, Christmas was far from those things. And yet, 110 years ago in the battle-scarred fields of France and Belgium, an unexpected and profound gesture of peace shocked the world and defied the hatred of its day.
It was a miracle that defied a world at war. Some of the troops even pointed to a special star.
The moment became famously known as the Christmas Truce of 1914.
War had broken out in Europe in August 1914. As summer turned to autumn, Private Albert Moren of the Second Queen’s Regiment was hoping and even expecting that he wouldn’t be spending Christmas Eve hearing the sounds of howitzers and orders yelled out in the trenches. In fact, soldiers like Moren didn’t expect to be on the Western Front at all that night, given that so many believed that the conflict would be “over by Christmas.” Hardly.
As nighttime came that Christmas Eve, however, Moren and his fellow soldiers began to hear something strange from the German trenches on the other side of no man’s land. The typical commotion was followed by shining lights and then something that captivated Moren. Moren explained, “And then they sang ‘Silent Night’ — ‘Stille Nacht.’ I shall never forget it, it was one of the highlights of my life. I thought, what a beautiful tune.”
As the German troops sang Christmas carols, something astonishing began to happen. British soldiers followed suit with their Christmas carols until both sides in unison sang the hymn, “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” “I thought, well, this is really a most extraordinary thing,” said Rifleman Graham Williams of the Fifth London Rifle Brigade, “two nations both singing the same carol in the middle of a war.” After the singing began to die down, a German soldier shouted across no man’s land an astounding proposal: “tomorrow, you no shoot, we no shoot.”
On Christmas morning, without a single shot fired, something miraculous happened. German and British soldiers started to cautiously move out of their trenches towards each other and began fraternizing. The soldiers exchanged items they had, such as cigars, food, and alcohol, offered as gifts to one other. They engaged in joyful conversations, even playing a game of football (or soccer as it is known in America).
As the news of the unofficial ceasefire spread, other sections on the front began to participate in the festivities. The troops were certainly surprised by the scene they were witnessing. British machine gunner Bruce Bairnsfather, later a prominent cartoonist, recounted the moment in his memoir: “Here they were — the actual, practical soldiers of the German army. There was not an atom of hate on either side.”
The harmonious spirit of the truce slowly came to an end. To be sure, not everyone had celebrated. Some officers on both sides objected to the truce, fearing it would undermine morale and their troops ability to carry on the fight. The objections by the officers led to infighting, forcing the men to return to their respective trenches.
A Christmas Miracle
Today we might regard this episode as something wholly unique to the time, but it actually shows something much more profound. The Christmas Truce of 1914 was not just an escape from the horrors of war, but a miracle. The truce was a miracle that defied man’s own sinful ambitions in this world. It was a miracle that defied a world at war. Some of the troops even pointed to a special star. Josef Wenzl, a German soldier, witnessed what he described as a “single star [that] stood still in the sky directly above [the soldiers].” He said it “was interpreted by many as a special sign.”
And why not? We should remember that Christmas is the time of miracles. Christ’s birth in the manger in Bethlehem is the very miracle that reminds us of the greatest gift God has given His people; namely, His enduring love and forgiveness. Christmas is the time to rejoice in the miracle of Christ’s birth and to engage in fellowship. That star over no man’s land on Christmas Eve night in 1914 was the very reminder of Jesus Christ’s miraculous birth.
Though our world today may likewise appear in a similar state of turmoil, we are reminded at Christmas of the miracle of Christ’s birth and the love that God has for His children. For Christ was born this very day to share the glories of His righteousness and show God’s love to the world.
Merry Christmas to all!
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