24 / 66
22
ULSTER
RUGBY
www.
ulster
rugby.com
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
Tonight we are joining with other clubs and stadiums
across Europe in holding a short celebration to mark
the centenary of the 1914 Christmas Truce – a
remarkable event when a carol and sport combined
to create a moment of peace.
Yet that first Christmas saw a moment that
continues to be talked about today, one
hundred years later.
On that night, from their trenches, came the
sound of a much-loved Christmas carol.
The Germans singing “Stille Nacht! Heilige
Nacht!” was answered by “Silent Night! Holy
Night!”. In time, soldiers from both sides
emerged from their defences and walked -
unarmed - into no-mans land. There they
sang, exchanged greetings and gifts, some
even playing football.
The power of the moment, in how sport and
the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus can
bring about peace in a time where peace &
hope seemed farther away than ever,
That message of Jesus’ birth, Christmas and
of peace and hope remains till this day and
we wish you and your family a very Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year.
The First world war was five months old on Christmas Eve, 1914. The bitter
fighting would last another four years and would cost millions of lives.