Search Results: The Christmas Truce

The Christmas Truce of 1914 occurred on the Western Front during the First World War (1914-18). On Christmas Eve soldiers in the trenches spontaneously agreed to a ceasefire. Beginning with the singing of Christmas carols, the unofficial...

The Christmas holiday has gathered around it customs and traditions for over two millennia, some of which even pre-date the Christian festival itself. From gift-giving to the sumptuous spread of a Christmas dinner table, this article traces...

How we celebrate Christmas today is largely shaped by a small group of authors who recorded festive traditions in the 19th century. These authors include Washington Irving (1783-1859), Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863), and Charles Dickens...

Printed Christmas cards became popular in the Victorian period (1837-1901) thanks to a combination of cheaper printing techniques and even cheaper post, with the arrival of the Penny Black postage stamp. Coming in all shapes, sizes, and materials...

Christmas carols are a much-loved part of the Christmas season and while many have a long history, others are surprisingly recent. From medieval dancing songs to the 19th-century revival, the words and music of carols have evolved over time...

Christmas was one of the highlights of the medieval calendar, not only for the rich but also for the peasantry. For the longest holiday of the year, typically the full twelve days of Christmas, people stopped work, homes were decorated and...

The Christmas Truce of the First World War has become a legendary story. The romantic image of enemies shaking hands in the middle of no man’s land, or playing football between the trenches, reoccurs again and again in popular culture. But...

A photograph of a letter written by Alfred Dougan Chater describing the Christmas Truce of 1914 on the Western Front during the First World War (1914-18). (Imperial War Museums)

A photograph taken during the Christmas Truce of 1914 on the Western Front during the First World War (1914-18). British troops from the Northumberland Hussars, 7th Division, Bridoux-Rouge Banc Sector. (Imperial War Museums)

A group photograph taken during the Christmas Truce of 1914 on the Western Front during the First World War (1914-18). The British troops are members of the 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. (Imperial War Museums)