By December 1914, World War I's Western Front had turned into a stalemate of trench warfare and barbed wires. The quick end to the war that both the Allies and the Central Powers had envisioned never materialized. Pope Benedict XV implored the belligerent governments for a Christmas ceasefire, so “that the guns may fall silent at least upon the night the angels sang.” His request was officially refused.
Despite the rejection of the pope's call for peace and military prohibitions against fraternizing with the enemy, thousands of soldiers – as many as 100,000 – made their own truce that year. On Christmas Eve, British troops saw lights from Christmas trees and heard German voices singing carols across the narrow “No Man's Land” as night fell. The British joined in singing.
The following day, Allied and German soldiers, not knowing whether they might be shot, crawled out of their trenches to greet one another. They shook hands and exchanged small gifts such as cigarettes and cigars. Both sides took time to bury and honor their dead. Personal accounts also tell of games of football (soccer) between the two sides.
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