During WWI, in 1914, while families at home were spending the winter holidays with loved ones, soldiers of the Allied and Central Powers, who were fighting against each other all across European battlefields, engaged in a spontaneous unofficial ceasefire on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to converse, exchange gifts, and play football together. Even in the weeks before Christmas, the soldiers visited opposing trenches to spread holiday cheer, because, after all, the men had no desire to be at war; they would have rather been home with their families. They made the best of what they had.

Since the war only began five months prior, the Christmas truce of 1914 was the only Christmas truce during WWI. Almost immediately after, the war became far too intense and hostile for any major fraternization between conflicting soldiers. At the time of the Christmas Truce, the war was not expected to last more than a year and the soldiers expected to be home by the Christmas of 1915. Though, for some soldiers, it would have been their last Christmas. The Christmas Truce might have been a bittersweet moment in history because war infiltrated the world, but it is a reminder to make the best of the present time, as the future is uncertain.