Christmas, 1914
From The Gods of Eden by William Bramley
British soldiers raised "Merry Christmas" signs, and soon carols were heard from German and British trenches alike.
Christmas dawned with unarmed soldiers leaving their trenches, as officers of both sides tried unsuccessfully to stop their troops from meeting the enemy in the middle of no-man's land for songs and conversation. Exchanging small gifts - mostly sweets and cigars - they passed Christmas Day peacefully along miles of the front.
At one spot, the British played soccer with the Germans, who won 3-2. In some places, the spontaneous truce continued the next day, neither side willing to fire the first shot.
Finally the war resumed when fresh troops arrived, and the high command of both armies ordered that further "informal understandings" with the enemy would be punishable as treason.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------