It was “One of the Most Extraordinary Sights Anyone Has Ever Seen”

Have you heard of the “Christmas Truce” between German and English soldiers during World War One? 

On Christmas in 1914, a British soldier, Captain A D Chater, wrote to his mother about the amazing event that had happened that day.  He said that a couple of German soldiers came out of the trenches, holding their arms up, waving.  The British soldier almost shot them, until he realized they weren’t armed.

“Merry Christmas,” the Germans said.

He wrote, it was “one of the most extraordinary sights anyone has ever seen.”

The enemy combatants traded presents, smoked cigarettes, and played a friendly game of soccer (or as the English would say, “football”).  They took advantage of the truce to bury their dead who had been left “between the lines.”

“I went out myself and shook hands with several of their officers and men,” Captain Chater wrote.

This year, a school in England invited students from Germany to their own “Christmas Truce” — complete with a trench and muddy no-man’s-land. The kids climbed out of the trench, said “Merry Christmas,” and gave each other presents before kicking a soccer ball around. Then they ate a Christmas dinner made similar to soldiers’ rations in 1914.  (No cigarettes!)

War is a horrible thing, but sometimes there are good moments in the middle of the bad, and that makes those stories that much better. This was a great way to remember one of those happy moments! A county leader where the English school is located said:

This historical re-enactment reflects the moment when fighting troops recognised their adversaries as human beings and for a moment let a glimmer of friendship shine on a bleak and foreboding landscape.

This story makes me thankful for the past and for the people who keep our country safe today. We can’t forget what happened before we were here, and why we enjoy our lives today. It also reminds me that everyone could use a little kindness, even if we disagree.

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