As Christmas time is right around the corner, the spirit is high and the holiday season is filling the air. Christmas is the time for giving as well as forgiving, and one lighthearted, spirited story shines out above the rest. The Christmas Truce of 1914 happened during World War I, when horror and devastation filled the minds of all soldiers. The two sides of the truce were British–Allied–and German–Central Powers–soldiers. They were told that by Christmas, they would be done fighting, but by the time it rolled around, the war was far from over. Since they were upset by not seeing their loved ones and being home, German troops started to sing Christmas carols and display Christmas trees on Christmas Eve. They decided that for the special day, they would stop fighting and instead share drinks, exchange gifts, and play soccer, as this was a sport many of them were familiar with. For a brief moment, the war seemed to stop, a moment remembered by many. One of whom is a student at FHC named Jackson Young, a junior who has excelled in history classes throughout high school.
“I know that on Christmas day, everyone stopped fighting and shared drinks, and it showed a good hope for humanity during a time where everyone thought everything was cruel and bad,” Young said. “It raised the morale of soldiers and showed them that the other side [is] humans as well and not just monsters they are having to fight.”
During the Christmas truce of 1914, soldiers from both sides experienced a rare moment of peace and hope that changed how they viewed the war and each other. With soldiers dying left and right in horrible, gruesome ways, all of them taking a day to make peace and show humanity was a big deal, especially during times as hard as World War I. Another well-driven student at FHC is named Matthew Morris. Morris is a freshman who is very involved in his history class and has a strong opinion of what this fateful day on Christmas of 1914 really represented.
“It showed that even in times of distress, people can still come together and be human,” Morris said. “I think it wouldn’t be impossible for something like this to happen in today’s society, but definitely harder because of the leaders nowadays…they definitely wouldn’t like it.”
Though one can believe that it may or may not be able to happen with today’s society, the Christmas Truce of World War I was definitely a special time that showed humanity, and when humans got together and did what was right.
