The Christmas Truce of 1914
Although this idea seems inconceivable today, it wasn’t so during Christmas eve of 1914, where opposing army soldiers were a part of a special cease-fire that took a pause from the bloodshed of the war, and respected the spirit of the holiday.
In some cases, the truce came with a ceasefire, in others, handshakes were made, and in some, a soccer practice between sides took place. All of this happened without the official approval of the commanding officers and was a result of the troops’ wish to respect the day and celebrate their spiritual beliefs. This special truce did not occur in the later years of the first world war.