Stille Nacht

Imagine it being just after midnight, December 25, in the small community of Oberndorf, Austria 196 years ago, in the year 1818.  Located near Salzburg, the home of one of the world's greatest composers, Obendorf was in the throes of discontent as this was only a few years following the completion of the Napoleonic wars.  Salzburg would lose its independence, and in its larger region would see the Saalach River be a dividing line between the Bavarian section of Germany, and Austria.  In the appropriately named St. Nicholas Church, the assistant pastor, Father Joseph Mohr, and the choir director, Franz Gruber were singing for the first time the song "Stille Nacht," or as we know it in English, "Silent Night."  This song would become one of the most popular in Christendom although myth and tales surround, but add to, its story.

Silent Night Chapel in Obendorf, Austria (Google images)

The song was created to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but we have to think that Bethlehem was not likely very quiet the night Christ was born.  We know that there was no room for Joseph and his very pregnant wife Mary at the Inn, or if your liking goes to a different translation "the place were traveler's lodged."  The owner of this place is unknown and it was either a great act of kindness, or a great act of disdain to place a women in her condition in a barn.  The barn was likely not built out of stone or wood, but probably was a limestone cave, or rock outcropping.  The church of the Nativity is located at a high point, so it may have been a rock outcropping.  At that time even many families lived in caves. Bethlehem was probably not very large in population, making its ability to handle the number of people filing into this community even more difficult.  Besides all the travelers, it would have had soldiers, tax collectors, along with itinerant merchants, and caravans following the mass of humanity.  If the night had been silent, it would have been broken by the cry of a new-born boy then little known, but now highly regarded by Christians today.  This cry would echo off the walls of the limestone cave out to a waiting world.

Birthplace of Jesus, Church of the Nativity (Author photo)

Father Mohr actually had written the words to "Stille Nacht" two years earlier while stationed at the pilgrimage church of Mariapfarr, Austria. His grandfather lived near Mariapfarr, and some believe he first thought of the verses as he made his way to his visit his grandfather from the rectory.  While it is not clear what drove him to write the words it is well established that he wrote this poem while at that small pilgrim outpost, but the world is fortunate that he took his work with him to Oberndorf.

Mariapfarr, Austria (Google images)

Over 2000 years ago, Joseph and Mary would journey to Bethlehem from their home in Nazareth, and then of course their famous trip to Egypt.  The journey to Bethlehem could not have been easy, it is a fair distance south of Nazareth, and the terrain over parts is less than easy to traverse.  It would involve hills and valleys, rocks and more rocks.

Shepherd's Fields Church, Bethlehem.  (Author photo)

It was on Christmas Eve in 1818 that Father Mohr would walk to the teacher--choir master's house hand him his poem, and ask him to write a melody for guitar and accompaniment so that it could be sung at midnight mass.  I am sure Franz Gruber's wife was not too happy of him being assigned this type of chore on such late notice. No one knows why Father Mohr would ask that a melody be created at that point, it could be that he wished a composition to be sung with guitar, rather than the organ.  Others have speculated that a mouse destroyed parts of the organ, so it was not playable, although some say the reports of mouse damage was only popularized in the American press. Whatever, the reason, the two stood in front of he main altar and sung "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" for the first time.  Their composition would impact the world, and become one of the most famous of Christmas carols.

Franz Gruber and Fr. Mohr  (Google images)
Note the names under the images are not correct

The impact of this composition is directly related to those events on that perhaps not so silent, but yet holy night in Bethlehem so very long ago.  Shepherds would quake at the sight of the young baby lying in a manger, swaddled for protection from a cruel world.  Wise men, following a celestial sign, would pay homage to the young child.Of course, we know that while his birth was important it was his message, his death and his resurrection for which Christians are most grateful.  For God sent his only living son.

Shepherd fields cave where shepherds would live (Author photo)

This composition of Mohr and Gruber would be spread to other parts of Germany and Austria by an organ repairman who would obtain a copy of the song while doing work at St. Nicholas church.  The song is thought to have been popularized by two 19th century versions of the Vonn Trapp Family Singers, who would incorporate it into concerts.  During this stage, the melody was adjusted and some words altered, gradually evolving to the carol we know and sing today.  The changes over time also slowed down the song's tempo.  Originally, it was much more spirited.  For some reason people correlate slow with reverent, to the point that some church music is more laborious than a communist funeral dirge.  Gruber would produce a number of various arrangements of his original composition. A score of the tune signed by Mohr was discovered in 1995.  Analysis puts the date of the discovered copy to between 1820 and 1825, so it was likely a copy of the original, and Mohr appropriately placed a date of 1816--to recognize his original composition.  In the upper right corner Mohr would write:  "Melodie von Fr. Xav Gruber." The song is believed to have had its first English translation of the first few verses by Episcopalian John Freeman Young.  If one were to read the BBC account, you think it was Young, and not Mohr, who should receive the most credit.  So goes the world of English dominance giving credit to an interpreter rather than the original composer.

St Nicholas Church, rebuilt in 1913 (Google image)
Original was destroyed in a flood

It would take time for the world to recognize the impact of the birth of the baby which the carol honors.  Christ may have been born on that one night so long ago, but his church would take years to get a foothold, and many more to see it spread through the world.  Christ's message was first spread by the apostles.  Although most of them would stay within the bounds of the Roman Empire, at least one, Thomas, would move beyond and travel to the Indian Subcontinent.

Church of the Nativity, Manger Square (Author photo)

"Silent Night" has been popular with both Catholic and Protestant congregations, and its rise in popularity may be due to it being favored by the protestant Prussian ruler William IV.  The third line in English, " 'Round yon virgin Mother and Child" was not in the original German instead it seemingly better translates to "Just the faithful and holy pair." This part of Europe was in a time of transition, and Father Mohr and places he had served were adjusting to territory transfers.  Let us look at the wrote the fourth stanza, which in part reads:  "...Brought the world peace tonight, from the heavens' golden height Shows the grace of his holy might...."  Mohr was writing about peace being brought to the world.  Peace is a concept, often relegated to second place in a competitive world.

1820's version of Silent Night in Mohr's hand (Google images)

Christ was born into an occupied territory, although with some semblance of local control, yet still under the domain of the Roman Empire.  Jesus would spend his life within the bounds of the Middle East, a region of the world still in strife.  On the one hand it is ironic that the Prince of Peace would be born in a region so continually torn, but on the other hand perhaps it is fitting as no region on earth needs to strive more for peace.  Christ is the Savior, at least for us Christians, but the world is still occupied by humans who are frail and subject to varied thoughts and temptations.  Christ was born in an unassuming manner to unassuming parents. In this he bears some resemblance to Father Mohr, a man who was born and died in poverty. A man who gave what he had to assist the less fortunate.  He was Francis before their was Pope Francis. The author of the words for this carol was contested until the finding of his copy in 1995.  As much as the English revere John Young, they probably woudl wish to give him the credit.  Austria would finally realize the significance of this song writer. One commentator, notes the meaning of this song, when he wrote about the seeming insignificance of Fr. Mohr:

Perhaps this is part of the miracle of "Silent Night."  The words flowed from the imagination of a modest curate.  The music composed by a musician who was not known outside his village.  There was no celebrity to sign at its world premiere  yet its powerful message of peace has crossed all borders and language barriers, conquering hearts of people everywhere.  (Egan, Bill)

Moon over Bethlehem (Author photo)

The words of Fr. Mohr should occupy our thoughts, as peace begins with each of us.  100 years ago, during the Great War, the German army started to sing "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" only to hear British soldiers join their singing, The Germans and British would leave their trenches to introduce one act of kindness amid the madness of war; this act would never be repeated during that conflict. The Christmas Truce would not be repeated. The song, sung in the trenches of the Great War 100 years ago was only a catalyst to spread forth an idea of peace.  Peace is perhaps most often thought about this one day a year, but needs to be with us everyday.  We need not be king, president, or pope to bring peace into the world.  The message of this song is that peace begins with each and every one of us.  Simple small acts of kindness can help in a lonely, busy, tired world.  Jesus would preach a message of faith, hope, love and peace.  It is up to us to put those words into action.

Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

March to the Sea

December 21 is a rather famous day in history.  Which other date can claim to be the day with the shortest day light hours, but more importantly the birthday of not only my twin brother, but my brother-in-law and a niece.  It would be difficult for any historical event to compete with these events, so this short post is not about any of the above, but rather the one event that would drive a nail through the heart of the confederacy.  A few months after having wreaked havoc on Atlanta (popularized by Gone with the Wind) William Tecumseh Sherman would take the war across Georgia to Savannah.  This would be one of the most significant movements in any war, perhaps rivaling the sea battle of Lepanto, and Epaminondas' travel into Peloponnese.

W. T. Sherman

The Civil War was now well into its fourth year, and was finally seeing significant progress in a war that was becoming old and worn to those fighting and to those watching.  Sherman would be given Grant's old command when Grant was appointed to the top Army post.  Both Grant and Sherman realized that to win the battle, the war had to be taken to the people of the south.  Sherman would develop a policy to do just that.  "War is hell," Sherman had once said and he wished the people of the south to understand what they had wrought on the nation.  Lincoln and Grant both wondered about the wise nature of the move Sherman would make, Lincoln more so than Grant, as Grant trusted Sherman's judgement.

Burning of Atlanta

Sherman's policy was quite simple, he would disconnect from his supply lines, and he and his army of 70,000 men would, quite simply, live off a land with little to give.  He had conquered Atlanta in early September  (guaranteeing Lincoln's reelection), and in October he began planning for this campaign.  This mass of men under his command was composed of four army corps, each with certain synchronized movements, but an ability to exercise independent judgement.  While Grant was kept busy with the less than successful siege of Petersburg, and General Thomas, a Virginian fighting for the Union, was moving in the area of Tennessee, Sherman would move east from Atlanta to the sea.

March to the Sea

On November 11, Sherman cut the telegraph wires connecting Atlanta to Washington, and prepared to move. He would have no communication, no support trains, no additional munitions. Forty days after having cut his telegraph wire, he would enter Savannah, Georgia. This would be the first leg of this remarkable movement of men and machine. He would free slaves, burn plantations, and warehouses, and create "Sherman bow-ties" with rail ties. Devastation and destruction was his idea of total war. Making war so horrible that few would wish to repeat it. With the battle of Atlanta, and his famous march to the sea, Sherman would add an exclamation point to Robert E. Lee's comment: " It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it." On December 22, the day following the fall Savannah, Georgia, he would send a telegraph to President Lincoln reading: "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the City of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty guns and plenty of ammunition, also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton."  Less than two months later, Sherman's troops would take relish in the destruction of Columbia, SC, the birthplace of the Civil War. 

Union Troops enter Savannah

I suppose I had my share of little wars with my twin brother over the past 57 years, but none of them rose to the level of destruction as Sherman's move east to the Atlantic ocean.  In any event Christopher Hovel should remember that he graduated from the University of Wisconsin on the 150th anniversary of a movement that helped defeat the confederacy.

Images from Google images.

Bulge, redux

I wrote the following post one year ago, Dec. 16, 2013.  Today would mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, and since I lack time to work up a new post on this battle, I thought persons may be interested in recalling what I had wrote regarding this battle one year ago.

Bulge

On this date in 1944 one of the most famous battles in WWII began.  For historians and those in the European theater of WWII the term bulge has a different connotation than one's efforts to tone their physique after an increase in food consumption, particularly as a result of Christmas celebrations.  The Battle of the Bulge, as opposed to the battle of the bulge, refers to the last ditch effort by Adolph Hitler to divide the Allied lines and get a negotiated, rather than unconditional surrender.  The battle started on 16 December 1944 and would end in January 1945.  Much has been written, and movies made, about this famous World War II battle.  For the Germans battle preparation, and alignment did not happen overnight, and one has to credit to the German high command and troops at the front for keeping preparation efforts a secret.  This allowed the Germans to amass over a quarter million troops in and near the Ardennes Forest of Germany. Before, and after the Battle of the Bulge, there was the longest US battle on German soil, and also the longest in US History, the Battle for Hurtgen Forest, near the Belgium-German border.  The Hurtgen Forest battle would last from 19 September 1944 to 10 February 1945.  A key US division during this battle was the 83rd "Thunderbolt" Division.  The Thunderbolt division was, at the time, part of the Allied First Army under control of Lt General Courtney Hodges.  They were charged with taking control of this 50 sq mi forest area in order to provide another way into the heart of Germany.  During this battle, Hodges would take Aachen, Germany.  Aachen is the town made famous by Charlemagne.  But, Hodges' focus was the Hurtgen Forest, and  it is here that he concentrated his effort in order to protect his southern flank.  It was also in and near this forest that German troops were gathering for the famous counter offensive.

One member of the 83rd division, was Roy Bernard Hovel, a special agent in the Counter Intelligence Corps, with the rank of Technical Sargent.  Special agent Hovel, who passed away in 2003, was one of two CIC agents in Luxembourg for about three days, to testify at a trial of spy prisoners they had apprehended.  During this visit he was able to spend time with a lady friend and her parents.  This lady friend would assist with interpretation while he he undertook Army business.  When he was about to depart for his unit at the conclusion of the trial, Jean Mayer, a friend of Roy's (also the father of his lady friend) and the warden at the Luxembourg Grund Prison, questioned him about what he had heard about German activity in the area of his planned route of travel.  Let us pick up a few words in a letter Roy Bernard wrote to his parents, dated December 19, 1945, headlined simply, "Somewhere in Germany".  The letter begins with a simple phrase:  "I am sorry that I have delayed in writing to you for so long, but a lot has happened since my last letter a week ago."  He would go on to say that the prior night was the first time he had to read their letters from 7 Nov  up to "Daddy's letter of Dec 5th."  It is at a later point in the letter, that he provides a little more information. Recall that his letters are read by censors, and while this letter does not have any information cut, others did, so there will be no direct reference to specific events. The third paragraph reads in part: "I have had a lot of experiences within the past week, including to both extremes the best and the worst living in my experience overseas, if not my life."

Entry gate to Luxembourg Grund Prison

In 1965 Roy Hovel wrote a letter to a person who was looking to write a book on the CIC.  This letter, which provides additional detail to that week, is summarized as follows:  In the very early morning of Dec 16, 1944 Roy and agent Turner were departing Luxembourg City, but due to early time of day had not been in contact with any commanders regarding recent activity. They left early in the morning as they had to drive without lights.  All was quiet on this front as they took the road north of Luxembourg City, which was the one closest to the eastern border.  But the quiet of the morning was about to turn.   Hovel and his partner were about 14 miles outside of Luxembourg City on the way back to their post in Germany east of Aachen, when a tracer bullet went, as he says, "between my eyes and the windshield of the jeep."  As other bullets hit the jeep he was driving, he jumped into the ditch on the left side of the country road, and his partner to the right ditch.  Over the course of the day the two agents were able to make their way to the bottom of a hill and eventually made contact with a reconnoitering Army Captain who took them to his division's intelligence division.  Here they reported what they had encountered.

It is possible that Jean Mayer, as warden at the prison, had heard rumors about German activity in the outskirts of the Luxembourg City, but likely did not realize the significance of that information.  The Allied Army, as we know, was in the dark about German movements;  but at least Roy Hovel, as he left Luxembourg before dawn, knew to keep his eyes open.  He and his partner would later learn that this was start the Battle of the Bulge.  As battle lines became more fluid, he would find his way back to his unit.  The Thunderbolt Division would be relocated to fight in the Bulge, engaging in the battle just after Christmas.

The 19 Dec. 1944 letter raises the question as to what best and worst parts of his time that week had been.  The best part of his time was likely his time with his lady friend Berty.  In the letter he wonders if he may not be falling in love with Berty, who he had met while the 83rd was stationed in Luxembourg.  What American man, or any man, would not think the company of a women was a respite from the fog of war?  The worst was likely the German ambush and his means of transportation arguably being the first US materiel destroyed in the Battle of Bulge.  His quick reaction kept him from being the first human statistic. Anita Hovel, a sister to Roy, would recount that he and his partner were able to gather and enjoy some treats his lady friend Berty and her parents had sent along as they made their way back to allied lines.  

The letters he received from Rudy, Ida and Anita are, as far as I know, lost to history.  His letters home were kept by his parents.  Reading the copies of the letters he wrote home you get a sense of a desire for information, but to be home.   Many of his letters begin with him wondering when his parents or sister would have last written.  Near its conclusion, one can sense the solitary nature of another Christmas away from home.  He writes: "The days are going fast these days and soon Christmas will be here.  I suppose it will be one of the loneliest ones I spent, but it couldn't be worse than last year as over here you know you cannot be on leave for it and so one not too disturbed over that, although I wish I could spend it with you."   He would have spent Christmas 1943 in the US, but unable to obtain leave to spend the holiday with his family.

As to whether he was falling in love with Berty, he concludes that portion by saying time will tell.  Of course, he did not marry Berty.  He would come back to the United States, marry Mary Jeanne Sweeney, and together they would produce a family of ten.

Mayer family temporary home in Dommeldingen, suburb of Luxembourg City.
The family was required to live here during the occupation until 14 Nov 1944

As 2013 starts to wrap up, perhaps we need to think of Christmas in a slightly different way than we have in the past.  While Christmas cookies may give us a bulge to which we need to battle, they provided a comfort food for a man making his way back to his unit during the true Battle of the Bulge.

Former Convent Church, and by 1944 was part of the prison

Giver and Gaudete

When my sons were in middle school, or perhaps grade school, they had to read the book by Lois Lowry entitled The Giver. I read the book at the time, and recently found myself ordering the 2014 movie from the local library. My spouse and I watched the movie Friday night. It is likely just coincidental, but I find some parallels between this movie, and what some Christian faiths will celebrate today, Gaudete Sunday. If your family had the tradition of lighting an advent wreath, this is the Sunday when the rose colored candle is lighted. In the Catholic tradition, the other three candles are purple. The rose colored candle acknowledges that we are at the half way point of advent, but also that we are in joyful anticipation of the coming of Jesus. Gaudete is Latin for "all of you must rejoice." It seems more an order than a request, meaning that the preparation of advent now changes to a joyful attitude.

Book cover

Yet, we should of course always be joyful.  Pope Francis himself has said that there should be no sourpusses in Christianity.  Of course, we are all human, and thus have some frailties.  Frailties are part of our human existence, Just as there would be no resurrection of Christ, without his death, so to how would we know joy if we do not know pain and suffering?  Joy is different than happiness.  But, you may ask how does the movie "The Giver" relate to this Sunday of advent?

Jonas and the Giver, movie scene

The Giver (book) and  "The Giver" (the movie) take place in a society that is very antiseptic, no real feelings are evident.  Those that do  not meet the prescribed standards of what they consider human development are, as the book puts it--"released."  Of course, released is simply the euphemism for euthanasia, It is a colorless world, as portrayed literally, and of course figuratively.  The book is named for a person within this society who is called the Giver.  His job is to pass down all of the information from prior ages.  In this it includes the good and bad.  He is an oracle for the community. The antiseptic world was created to guard people against war, riot, and other unpleasant circumstances which often pit man against man.  But, in doing so they have no feelings, and are so automatized that they do not comprehend their situation.  With a lack of human emotion, they do not understand feelings. This is shown when the Receiver, a young 18 year old man, after some instruction by the Giver, approaches a lifelong female friend of his and grabs her hands and kisses her on the lips.  In this society, one cannot touch another who is not part of their unit--what we would call the family.  The girl has no way to describe what she felt, the terminology has ceased, there is no room for expression of thought, for expression of hate, or expression of love.  The Receiver understands, as he has the "capacity to see beyond" which is to see color, and in this case both literal and figurative.  Literally he will see colors where the world is a black,white and 50 shades of grays.  Figuratively he is beginning understand human emotions.

Jonas and female friend, movie scene

Children are not produced by a mother and father, but only by those authorized.  The woman does not care for her child, the care is provided by a Nurturer, one of who is the Receiver's older adult male in the unit.  Jonas, who is the Receiver, comes to a realization when he sees his father "release" a young baby from the bonds of earth, in other words, kill the baby, as it did not meet the prescribed community standards in its development.  Jonas' sister is helping the family unit care for a baby named Gabe (Gabriel), to see if he will  be able to meet the community standards of child development.  Upon arriving home one evening after another session with the Giver, Jonas is told that Gabe did not meet the standards and is being prepared to be released. At this point, Jonas escapes with the baby and goes beyond the borders of the community.  He and Gabe overcome rocks, deserts, heat, cold, mountains and snow.  Climatic variations are not allowed in the community so Jonas has his first experience of snow in the mountains, although he had a dream earlier in the movie that portended the event he is now experiencing.  He has reached his physical, and likely mental limits and at the lowest point of his life, wondering if what he had done was the right thing, would he and Gabe survive?  

Advent wreath

Then, they hear voices coming from a distance, providing him sufficient strength to make his way down the next slope he sees a home nestled among the pine trees and the snow.  People in the home are singing, 'Silent Night".  It is likely Christmas Eve or early Christmas morning.  It is here the movie ends.  Jonas has seen deprivation, and despair, but now he is not simply happy, but joyful.  Mike Jordan Lasky writes that "joy is something deeper than happiness;" he quotes Henri Nouwen who says of joy: it is "the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved and that nothing -- sickness, failure, emotional distress, oppression, war, or even death -- can take that love away." Nouwen continues: "I remember the most painful times of my life as times in which I became aware of a spiritual reality much larger than myself, a reality that allowed me to live the pain with hope ... Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day."

Jonas with Gabe, movie scene

This is what Jonas, and the Giver, who plied Jonas to leave and find his way, and bring promise of human feeling and experience to the full community by his action of leaving and escaping to the non-controlled world. Jonas, gave Gabe a new life, but it was the impending death (release) of Gabe which was the spark that drove Jonas to realize he lived in a community that lacked human feeling and emotion.

Patricia Datchuck Sanchez wrote this past week: "Jesus warns us against the security of isolation from human misfortune," and then she quotes Pope Francis: "we are, instead, to enter into the reality of other people's lives and know the power of tenderness. Whenever we do so, our lives become wonderfully complicated and we experience intensely what it means to be a people, to be part of a people." Jonas would understand what Pope Francis was saying. yes, we have Ferguson, choke-holds, war and death, but we also have kindness, generosity, life, and joy.

Church of the Nativity, author photo

So, yes, I see a connection between The Giver and Gaudete Sunday, The community in which Jonas grew up was secure, but it was isolated from misfortune. Jonas found joy when he found human emotion and his final realization was that one snow filled night hearing Silent Night radiating from a lodge nestled among the evergreens and slopes in the mountains. I am not sure whether it was intended by the author or not, but Jonas realized joy on the most holy of nights, with a child bearing the same name as the angel who had appeared unto Mary. As we prepare to celebrate this Christmas, and the birth of Jesus, let us recall that joy needs to fill our hearts and that we cannot let the misadventures of humanity be in our way. Use joy as a way to better understand and appreciate our humanity. We need the full range of emotions to have, as Pope Francis has said, that "wonderfully complicated" experience that means we are part of a people, not isolated from difficulties, differences, or disasters.Being human, we all we struggle with the concept of seeing joy in the face of despair. Yet, it strengthens use and makes us better. Joy leads to love, and love gives us joy. An unending circle, not unlike the circle of the advent wreath.

Unless otherwise noted, images are from Google images

Christmas Truce

It was late on Christmas Eve day a century ago, just a few months into the Great War, when British soldiers heard singing, and while they may not have recognized the words…”Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, Alles schläft; einsam wacht…” the tune was familiar and its recognition led them to join the Christmas song in their own English language. This was the beginning of what has become known as the Christmas Truce. On that special, holy night an extraordinary grace showed itself among the rats, cold, snow, and deprivation to men living and spending Christmas in a World War I trench. The Christmas Truce would stand out as a symbol of hope to men weary of life in the trenches, of peace to men growing ever tired of a young war, and conjure memories of Christmas’ past.  Showing that miracles exist even in the most dire of situation, most historians now believe that the Christmas Truce was not one single event along the northern front in Belgium that may have spread down the line, but rather that these grace filled moments originated independently in many different places. Some lasted a day, some lasted a week or more. These grace-filled moments in a horrendous war would show the “better angels” of man’s nature. This post is not to recount the history of these occurrences, but rather is to focus on a new developing conflict due to an advertisement playing in England this holiday season.

Sainsbury advertisement Jim and Otto

The Sainsbury Grocery store chain in England has a three minute 40 second advertisement, which would certainly test the sound bite attention span of many Americans, that started playing in England on November 12.  As of December 4, the You Tube video had over 13.7 million hits. Apparently, these rather long advertisements are rather common in England during this time of year. The British “Advertising Standards Authority” has received many complaints about the ad, with the main complaint being that it is promoting a company through war. Sainsbury worked with the Royal British Legion to produce what they believe to be an accurate account of one event that occurred along the northern front that night and into the next day. Some of the most biting criticisms came from a columnist in England, Charlie Brooker, who wrote “It’s all very poignant, if you mentally delete the bit where a supermarket logo hovers over the killing fields, which you can’t.” He further goes on to suggest that (in Sainsbury’s view) “it would have been a great source of comfort for them to know their noble sacrifice would still be honoured a century later, in an advert for a shop.” 

Drawing of a soccer match during the Christmas Truce

I tend to look at it differently. If an advertisement, with its main prop as a candy bar in a blue wrapper (which is being sold in England to benefit the Royal British Legion) can kindle or rekindle the memory of that special moment of sharing,and peace amid the horror of war, perhaps we are better for it. The soldiers shared a game of soccer, shared pictures of loved ones, and of course the English soldier gave the chocolate bar he received to his German counterpart.  One does not know it is a commercial until the very end when Sainsbury title appears. Small acts of kindness are part of humanity, and the small acts of sharing portrayed in the ad show that at one point during the war a peace was had. It may have been only for one day, but it nonetheless was present. Can there ever be too much kindness?

WWI Trench in the advertisement

This is not the first time the Great War has been used for gain. The cartoonist Charles Shultz, creator of “Peanuts” had Snoopy dream about fighting the Red Baron. Likely borrowing from the idea of the real Christmas Truce of 1914 a pop group from Florida called the “Royal Guardsmen” created a song still heard among many Christmas Carols on the radio today…

News Article on the Christmas Truce

...Snoopy vs the Red Baron

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum,
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!

The news had come out in the First World War
The bloody Red Baron was flying once more
The Allied command ignored all of its men
And called on Snoopy to do it again.

Was the night before Christmas, 40 below
When Snoopy went up in search of his foe
He spied the Red Baron, fiercely they fought
With ice on his wings Snoopy knew he was caught.

Christmas bells those Christmas bells
Ring out from the land
Asking peace of all the world
And good will to man

The Baron had Snoopy dead in his sights
He reached for the trigger to pull it up tight
Why he didn't shoot, well, we'll never know
Or was it the bells from the village below.

Christmas bells those Christmas bells
Ringing through the land
Bringing peace to all the world
And good will to man

The Baron made Snoopy fly to the Rhine
And forced him to land behind the enemy lines
Snoopy was certain that this was the end
When the Baron cried out, "Merry Christmas, my friend!"

The Baron then offered a holiday toast
And Snoopy, our hero, saluted his host
And then with a roar they were both on their way
Each knowing they'd meet on some other day.

Christmas bells those Christmas bells
Ringing through the land
Bringing peace to all the world
And good will to man

Every US Citizen should know who this is.

In opposite trenches where men had fired bullets, and lobbed mortars at each other earlier in the day, a certain trait of humanity shown through in the trenches of Belgium on that one Christmas day. The power of one Christmas song, indicative of a commonality among conflict, drew men together that night.  Peace did not come to the world, but a little bit of peace in that war was welcomed by those who participated. For that one fleeting day, on the northern front there was some good will to man.  It may be unfortunate that it takes a commercial to inform or remind us of that event 100 years ago, but perhaps we are the better for having been informed.  Perhaps it will even lead us to a act of kindness, not unlike what Jim did for Otto.

As an aside, it is interesting to note that a video on the making of the Sainsbury ad has over 600,000 views.  

Images from Google Images.