Picture this.......Christmas Eve 1914, frozen land, barbed wire coiled in vast lines demarking the battlefield, no mans land in between, men's bodies twisted in the wire and lying lifeless in the snow and ice. Bullets raining down all around you. And then in the dark of the night you hear the sound of singing in the distance. A familiar tune yet unfamiliar words getting louder, coming nearer. You join in because you know the song well, a Christmas Carol from your homeland. You don't realise you are moving toward the singing which is getting louder as the voices get nearer. Before you realise it you are face to face with the enemy. The song you are all singing is Silent Night. They are singing in German but you know the song well. As the night wears on and dawn breaks, headgear and other souvenirs are swapped. They even shared their rations. Laughter rang out in the night and into Christmas Day. The opportunity was also seized to gather the bodies of the dead and give them a decent burial. Spontaneous games of soccer were even played.
How was this possible? Enemies drawn together in a brief respite from the grim reality of war. Men connected in a common need to seize the moment, bringing a brief period of humanity back to a very inhumane time in our history.
Members of St Mary's Choir will join us to lead the singing and we take a step back in time. Come and join us as we recreate the songs and the camaraderie of this Christmas 100 years ago. Video of the truce will be played along with interviews of men who were there. Expect readings, poems and letters from Timaru Girls and Boys High as well as Geraldine High School which will really give you a sense of what the world was like for these men and their families at that time.
See link below for video footage of the Christmas Truce.
