Thank you - it was an amazing event. If only common sense could have prevailed....

Thank you, FW. Gee whiz, it's getting dusty in here... must have something in my eye...

It just gets me every time. The older I get, the sappier I get, I guess. But wasn't it the Germans who first mounted the ramparts and waved a truce flag? I know there wasn't one single event, but that's what I recall.

When, oh God, are we going to learn?

Excellent stuff... yes, bit dusty here as well

Never gets old.

That's what I heard too, HumanDrone. But it doesn't really matter in the long run, does it? It was the true spirit of the season that really did it. I've said before, there've been thousands of wars and hundreds of millions of lives lost in the name of various religions throughout history. This is the only instance I know of where, if only briefly, one was ended for that reason. And the only time I'm aware of in which the common soldier defied his king and his generals and said, "I will not kill for you today." Of course it helped that the sentiment was carried by both sides.

On a sidebar, I saw a program on a sports channel last winter about the Christmas Truce and decided to watch it. It was produced by some soccer (football, for our readers everywhere outside the US) organization...I believe it was UEFFA. They made out that the whole thing was motivated by a common love of the game. That some Tommies were enjoying an impromptu match, possibly in nml, and a few German soldiers asked if they could join. Amazing. Equally amazing is the fact that I was able to refrain from throwing something through my television.

I recognized the tune that picks up about halfway through from my high school German classes..."O Du Freuliche" (I hope I spelled that correctly...high school was a looooooong time ago). Interesting it would be included in a British (I assume) ad as I can't recall hearing an English-language version.

I think it's sand in my eye.

Excellent... thanks!

Is it just that, it is? I thought it's something with my eyes or the monitor...


Not so important - the fact is that both sides had the same feelings, and they overcame
all fears to meet, and to stop any fighting for the Holy Night.


Well, we have a Europe now, which is (hopefully) slowly getting there.
There are a lot of anymosities still between the French, the British and the Germans.
The British have to drop the feeling of standing above Europe as an Empire.
The French have to find new economic standards.
And the Germans should learn to listen and to communicate withall others more;
and not try to patronise everyone with their efficiency.

We all have to learn a new roll, and all of us have to give up something -
but isn't it sooo much better than fighting a world war?

People are just that...people.

Regardless of what the propaganda and lies our Governments force down our throats day in..day out would have us believe

I know this is just fantasy and would never happen but I can't help thinking what would have happened if both side had thrown down their guns and walked away home all across the front! The generals just couldn't punish everyone. It would have been like a mass revolt on all sides! What a wonderful thing that would have been! I know, I know, I'm a dreamer!