One of the mythic events of World War I, was the 1914 Christmas Truce which began on Christmas Eve along the British and German lines around Ypres, Belgium.

While it took hold in some areas manned by the French and Belgians, it was not widespread as these nations viewed the Germans as invaders. Along the 27 miles of front manned by the British Expeditionary Force, Christmas Eve 1914 began as a normal day with firing on both sides. While in some areas firing began to slacken through the afternoon, in others it continued at its regular pace.

This impulse to celebrate the holiday season amid the landscape of war has been traced to several theories. Among these was the fact that the war was only four months old and the level of animosity between the ranks was not as high as it would be later in the war.

That's my view of it anyway.