What is Christmas anyway?

With 2014 closing its doors to what can be considered a chaotic year around the globe, I think I'd rather reflect on something that can best define humanity as it has been and apply it to today's circumstances.

The news has us all believing that evil is over running all that's good, and it appears that news gets worst every day.

Take heart, my fine brothers and sisters.

Humanity has the ability to correct this.

In the middle of the bloodiest battle of WW-1, a miracle happened. A true miracle.

This, my friends was in the middle of the worst war in mankind's history.

As dawn rose, on a frozen, bloodied battlefield, and after days of horrific fighting and killing, a lone German soldier stood up and began to sing a Christmas carol in his native tongue.

For a few moments -- silence...

Then a British soldier stood up and did the same. Then, as if ordained, a German soldier bravely left his foxhole to be the first in history to cross enemy lines to shake the hand of the enemy.

What happened next, is what is now known as the Christmas truce WW1. A series of widespread but unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front on Christmas 1914.  

German and British soldiers crossed trenches to exchange seasonal greetings and talk.

In areas, men from both sides ventured into no man's land on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to mingle and exchange food and souvenirs.

There were even joint burial ceremonies and prisoner swaps, while several meetings ended in carol-singing.

Men played games of football with one another, giving one of the most enduring images of the truce.  

What does this say to our ability to forgive and love? Everything.

Whatever your thoughts on Christmas or the holiday season, I ask that the one thing you hold in your heart, is the ability to hold compassion for those on the other side of the trench.

After all, they are our brothers and sisters.  

Rebecca and I want to wish you all a wonderful and joyous Christmas and a new year filled with all of the promise and prosperity your hearts wish for.

Merry Christmas.

Shawn.....><

There were lots of those truces happening all through 1914 and 15. In fact it got so bad that they often refused to fight each other altogether. So the powers that be decided the best way to get us to hate each other again and therefore fight would be to launch chlorine gas attacks.

We didn't hate each other to begin with. There wasn't anything to forgive. We are forced to fight by our governments... and if they don't have a good enough reason to get us to fight, they make one up or create one. Anyone that thinks otherwise is quite frankly a fool.

Anyway...

Merry Christmas, Dustin

Shawn.....><

Merry Christmas, Shawn!

Merry Christmas and happy new year. In case I'm not around here to say it.

Merry Christmas to all SS

It's a great site and one I love to pop in to see everyday.

Thanks Don.

Peace to all.

Bill

Quoted from Ledbetter Merry Christmas, Dustin

Merry Christmas.

It's funny that for years I never hardly listened to this song. It always seemed to be a throwaway.

But in recent times it has been used as an anthem and I have come to realise what a great song it is, prolly the best Xmas song around

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z8Vfp48laS8


I'm sure John would be wrapt his song has been embraced by the world and used as a symbol of peace.


A safe and merry Chrimble to all my SS family

Festive greetings and felicitations to one and all.

Anthony

Shawn, thanks for sharing this message. Your attitude is quite important right at this moment in time.
The Christmas Truce is an amazing commentary on life.
(Here's my attempt on the events you described, if you're interested http://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-short/m-1393035705/). More than my short summary, it's worth to read letters of men taking part at this event. There's a touchable authenticity about the good.
They have understood so much about life within only some days, some hours. The decision they made, to fraternize and celebrate together against all odds, is just beautiful.

Happy holidays to all!

Merry Christmas to all the SS members! 8)

Merry Christmas all and thanks to Don for all his hard work in 2014.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all SSers!

And Happy Holidays to the rest of you as well!

To all,

Best wishes for the holidays and for health and happiness throughout the coming year...

Merry Christmas to all.  We're getting close and hopefully all are enjoying this joyous season.

Merry Christmas to Led and all of SS. Hope everyone's enjoying the festivities.

Wishing a Happy Christmas to all SS'ers! And thank you, Don Boose, for all your support and the work you do so we can have this great place!  xx

Muppet Christmas Carol on telly, tree lights on - it's definitely Christmas.

Have a great one, all!

Good tidings to all SSers, and of course to Don.

SS is one of a kind!

And, on this special day, though it goes without saying... eat chocolate.  ;D

It's 1012 am Xmas morn.  Cheers to all.

Lib, have done my workout and am kicking back with a cold Mother!  

Quoted from stevie It's 1012 am Xmas morn.  Cheers to all. Lib, have done my workout and am kicking back with a cold Mother!

Now there's a nice turn of phrase!

Hope the weather is good where you are, mate. We have sunshine and around 30 degrees - still cool enough to eat turkey and all the trimmings. Storms this arvo if the usual pattern is anything to go by - we had a hail storm the other day and golf-sized nuggets. Probably the closest we'll ever get to a White Christmas  ;D.  

Speaking of Turkey  ;) - you gearing up for it? Must be getting excited.  

and then...






;D

Merry Christmas to all, to all a good night.
Good riddance 2014.

Merry Christmas to you all.


God Bless.

Merry Christmas everyone. The Christmas short by Alex was the first thing I thought about when I read Shawn's post. A truly remarkable event. It'd be nice to see something like that again in the near future.

Anyway, fellow scripters, Merry Christmas. May this year bring options and sales, growth and easy rewrites. And hope.

Speaking of Christmas songs... Anyone got a favorite they'd care to share? Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses does it for me. As does Extreme's Christmas Time Again. Beautiful song. Also, if you haven't already, check out Snowed In by Mindy Smith. My wife grew up with her, and that's a really good one, I think. Anyhow, possibly should have started another thread for this, but...

Merry Christmas!

Steve

Quoted from SAC Speaking of Christmas songs... Anyone got a favorite they'd care to share? Steve

Father Christmas by The Kinks.  The song just rocks and it's a great antidote to most of those sugary sweet yuletide ballads.  I mean, Ray Davies sings about mugging Santa Claus and asking him for a machine gun.  That's some Christmas magic right there.

Anything and everything by TSO, probably 1 of the greatest bands of all time...and shockingly, bon of Savatage, the oh so underappreciated classic hard rock band from Florida.

Merry Christmas to everyone at SimplyScripts and their families.


I hope you all ate too much and had a nice quiet day after the morning's chaos.

Quoted from RayW I hope you all ate too much and had a nice quiet day after the morning's chaos.

I ate too much and there was no quiet time. In Sweden the big day is Christmas Eve and presents are given that evening. Our families mesh together the Swedish and American Christmas so it's a multi day affair. Meaning an extra day to pig out....now I just need to lose 10lbs in two days before we go on vacation...   ;D

Merry Christmas to everyone. Hope you all had, or are having, a great time.

All the best to everyone for the new year.

Quoted from Grandma Bear ...now I just need to lose 10lbs in two days before we go on vacation...   ;D

I'd say the only way to do that this time of year is to sever a limb.

Merry Christmas.

R

Quoted from Scoob In a world where people are murdered daily, some people display their hostages with beaming smiles before violently killing them, and we have people supporting such scumbags... It's a weird world.

Indeed it is a weird world. However, I think you want a different thread, Scoob. Kinda a puts a dampener on things. Gotta take the good when you can get it, know what I mean? Happy Christmas, mate, hope it was enjoyable.

And now I see you modified your post. As above - hope you had a nice Christmas & yes, here's to a more peaceful New Year - one can only hope. :)

Yes, LC. sorry.
I was thinking out loud there, apologies.

Merry Christmas!

Hope you all have a great one!

I just feel for some of the people that are less privileged than us.  Whoever they maybe, wherever they maybe, I just wish them the best.  Hope their God helps them out. That's all we can do, just hope they sort it out themselves.

Merry Christmas, everyone! :)

Quoted from Grandma Bear ... so it's a multi day affair. Meaning an extra day to pig out....now I just need to lose 10lbs in two days before we go on vacation...   ;D

Similar/same here.
I was stuffed Tuesday, stuffed again and in mild discomfort Wednesday night for Christmas supper, and yesterday I just milled about snacking 1k calorie treats out of my stocking all day.


Please, please, please share with us your secrets on losing 10lbs in a couple days.
I can't tie my shoes.

;)

Quoted from RayW Please, please, please share with us your secrets on losing 10lbs in a couple days. I can't tie my shoes. ;)

Ray, I still have 9lbs to go in 12 hrs, but I'm feeling optimistic!  ;D

Quoted from Grandma Bear Ray, I still have 9lbs to go in 12 hrs, but I'm feeling optimistic!  ;D

Best wishes!