“But I like to think that people want a truce. It’s the end of the long year of fighting political battles, fighting to keep the bills paid, and fighting to maintain hope that their lives will get better.”
The Christmas truce occurred in the first year of World War I. During the night on Christmas Eve, German soldiers in the trenches started singing Christmas carols. The next morning they came out and wished the British soldiers merry Christmas. British soldiers were hesitant at first, but when they saw the unarmed German troops, they also came out of the trenches. Soldiers from both sides shook hands, exchanged gifts, took pictures, and there is at least one mention of them playing soccer with each other.
Other locations on the front still witnessed fighting that day, and throughout the war there was often “live and let live” periods in which both sides agreed to a truce, fixed their trenches, and buried their dead. Both high commands opposed this, as it could have messed up strategy and undermined morale. But it’s an important story for all the reasons that it might not have been militarily sound.
This event probably shows the true spirit of Christmas better than any other in the history of Christmas. It has long been a cliché that people are nicer to each other around Christmastime. To some extent, this is verified. The month of December accounts for 30% of all charitable giving in the United States. And Christmas has been established in peer-reviewed studies to be the happiest day of the year.
So many people in politics could use the Christmas spirit and even a truce. America is more polarized than ever, and each camp thinks the other is ruining the country. Americans seem more interested in venting their rage at the other side than coming up with meaningful solutions to huge problems. And in many cases, they can’t even have meaningful discussions that avoid shouting.
The partisan bias is so intense I imagine some readers are angry at the notion of even having a truce. In reality, both sides often see what they want to see and would rather dwell in their anger than thoughtfully consider better ways.
One does not need any particular religious belief to get all of the benefit of Christmas niceness. The peace and goodwill of the season is largely secular. Many are considering what to buy their loved ones, and for me it’s the one time of the year when I buy myself or my daughter something special. Many others are thinking about how to spend their money so they don’t have to pay taxes on it. Perhaps everybody is really cold and wants to cuddle.
But I like to think that people want a truce. It’s the end of the long year of fighting political battles, fighting to keep the bills paid, and fighting to maintain hope that their lives will get better. During the Christmas truce of 1914, they literally stopped fighting, but in so many figurative ways we can have a Christmas truce in our lives.
I truly hope, no matter your political or religious beliefs, that you have a great Christmas with those you love.
