Photo: PATRICK HERTZOG / AFP / Getty Images
It’s hard to imagine how a simple Christmas song could bring calmness to the battlefield. That’s exactly what happened during World War I with “Silent Night.” On Christmas Eve in 1914, British soldiers were stationed along the Western Front when they heard a familiar melody coming across the trenches.
German troops were singing “Stille Nacht,” the German language version of “Silent Night." According to the Imperial War Museum, the sound of the traditional Christmas carol inspired something extraordinary. Soldiers on both sides began to sing it together, with their voices rising above gunfire—and fear.
The miracle continued the next day on Christmas. Troops cautiously stepped into “no man’s land” between their respective lines, not to fight, but to celebrate. Soldiers exchanged small gifts like chocolate and tobacco. They shared photographs and even played a game of football. For just a brief moment during the Great War, the Spirit of God and humanity triumphed over hostility. The Spirit united these men who had been enemies in battle only hours before.
The truce was short-lived, however. Commanders soon ordered soldiers back to their positions and warfare resumed. My grandfather, George Wells, fought in France during World War I and was forever changed by the savagery of this world conflict. The Christmas Truce of 1914 remains one of history’s most powerful reminders that even during the darkest times, the Spirit and Peace can find a way, even if through the simple beauty of a song. Merry Christmas and let us remember those who fought and died that we might be free to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
~ Dewayne Wells