December 24, 1914. On Christmas Eve, 5 months after the hostilities started, war was still raging on at its fullest around the Western Front. Even still, roughly 100,000 British and German troops were reportedly involved in the informal ceasefire along the Front, later dubbed 'The Christmas Truce'.
The Germans began the celebrations with singing Christmas carols, soon met with carols in return from the British lines. What followed were friendly calls of Christmas greetings across No Man’s Land, eventually leading to soldiers from both sides meeting in person where they exchanged small gifts. Artillery had also fell silent, which allowed the burial of the fallen from both parties, and hold joint services. In some areas the truce lasted through Christmas night, and in others it continued all the way into the New Year.
The Christmas Truce Event
To get a glimpse of what the Christmas Truce in Verdun was like in 1914, select Christmas Truce from the Play menu to join others in a peaceful ww1 inspired winter setting. Once inside, you can take part in festive activities like snowball fights, friendly football matches, exploring decorated trenches, or warming up around the fire. Just as they did 111 years ago! You can also send digital Christmas cards from the front using the post offices scattered around the map.
The Christmas Truce runs from December 18th to January 5th, 2025, and participating earns you the special Christmas Truce medal!