In December 1914, an unofficial truce occurred in the trenches of World War I between German, French, and Scottish soldiers. A German soldier who was present for the truce writes these words in his journal: “When the Christmas bells sounded in the villages of the Vosges behind the lines…something fantastically unmilitary occurred. German and French troops spontaneously made peace and ceased hostilities; they visited each other through disused trench tunnels, and exchanged wine, cognac, and cigarettes for Westphalian black bread, biscuits, and ham. This suited them so well that they remained good friends even after Christmas was over.” Friendship, mercy, camaraderie, and joy—these are certainly “fantastically unmilitary” postures. Joyeux Noël offers a brief glimpse into a kingdom economy where swords are beaten into plowshares, spears into pruning hooks, and soldiers will not need to train for war anymore.
—Joel Mayward