Christmas in the Trenches Music Video

A tribute to our troops at Christmas and a memorial of the Christmas Truce of 1914. A project for Mr. Cutler's grade 6 class. 'Christmas in the Trenches' is sung by John McCutcheon.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Christmas
• truce
• trenches
• 1914
• war
• world
• WWI
• in
• the
• Cutler
• Lydia
• Laura
• soldier
• fighting
• John
• McCutcheon
• history
• trench

[wiselionman]

The Chuck Norris types never win in the end - those who lay down their arms and live in peace are the winners.

[PilotRyanProductions]

I think the most powerful part of the song is "who's family have I fixed within my sights." Reminds us how even our enemies are loved by other people and political differences aside, we are all human beings.

[hooah122389]

You all are correct about for WWI. This is my absolute favorite Christmas song. Unfortunately the enemy in today's war agains us will never stop until every man woman and child who does not follow their interpretation of religion. I have first hand experience in the matter. I am not looking for a thanks or anything like that. I just want you to know that if you feel bad for who we fight, they will kill your wife, your children, and destroy everything you love and stand for before they kill you.

[wolf7379]

The enemy is not the one you point the rifle at. The enemies are bankers and politicians who put you there in the first place through manipulation and deceit - making profits and restricting your freedom at home in the name of national security. If you argue against this, then you still have much to learn, my friend, and you are truly naive to the point of stupidty. Google: 'WantToKnow(dot)Info'

[sinner175]

Thank you for telling this story.

You may like "War is a Racket" by MG Smedly Butler.

Do an internet search for it.

[Hippophilee]

@ncbilbo No Nazis there – we are talking about 1914. For the rest, we agree. Yet many people fool themselves: In fact the average rank-and-file is not better, or worse, than the average general. Our grand-grand-fathers of 1914 were not all poor, innocent victims. And they quickly came to know the men they were fighting.

[ncbilbo]

@Hippophilee "They", meaning the majority of the German soldiers, likely had no involvement or choice in the atrocities the Nazi's committed. You have obviously never served if you don't understand the phrase "at each end of the rifle we're the same.."

[ujohn]

"The most shocking fact about war is that its victims and its instruments are individual human beings, and that these individual beings are condemned by the monstrous conventions of politics to murder or be murdered in quarrels not their own." ~ Aldous Huxley, English novelist and critic, {1894-1963}

[cyprel]

And for others I would like to add that we should NOT dedicate this song to people who are serving now, even though they make many sacrifices, but to peace and bringing those people home.

[cyprel]

@Hippophilee Well, that's just the problem. As long as you see another person as a bad man, a murderer etc. war will continue. This story is about people who learn that their enemies are still people, even though they killed, something you and I will never be able to grasp because we don't know what it was like. This story is an exception, but it does remind us that people can show kindness and brotherhood under any circumstance.

[Hippophilee]

Sorry if my comment cools down your gentle feelings – which are quite understandable, given what we know of the horrors of WW1. This Xmas truce was an exception, a tiny display of brotherhood within a huge armed front. Remember that these Germans were singing "Stille Nacht" in the middle of countries they had invaded, which they had bombarded, where they had committed innumerable war crimes. On the other side, most Belgians and French wanted to kick them out and make them pay for the losses.

[RagingZen]

There is a wonderful movie depicting this miraculous event called Joeaux Noel (sp?). It is in Englush, French and German (subtitles). Anyone who has been inspired by the peaceful actions of these soldiers should watch this beautifully done movie. War is futile, waged by the powerful at the expense of the common man, and for what - $, land, resources? These decision makers come from a mindset of scarcity and fear, while abundance and acceptance and joy is everywhere around us. Peace and Love!