<P> The Germans placed candles on their trenches and on Christmas trees, then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols . The British responded by singing carols of their own . The two sides continued by shouting Christmas greetings to each other . Soon thereafter, there were excursions across No Man's Land, where small gifts were exchanged, such as food, tobacco and alcohol, and souvenirs such as buttons and hats . The artillery in the region fell silent . The truce also allowed a breathing spell where recently killed soldiers could be brought back behind their lines by burial parties . Joint services were held . In many sectors, the truce lasted through Christmas night, continuing until New Year's Day in others . </P> <P> On Christmas Day, Brigadier - General Walter Congreve, then commanding 18 Infantry Brigade, stationed near Neuve Chapelle, wrote a letter recalling the Germans initiated by calling a truce for the day . One of his brigade's men bravely lifted his head above the parapet and others from both sides walked onto no man's land . Officers and men shook hands and exchanged cigarettes and cigars, one of his captains "smoked a cigar with the best shot in the German army", the latter no more than 18 years old . Congreve admitted he was reluctant to personally witness the scene of the truce for fear he would be a prime target for German snipers . </P> <P> Bruce Bairnsfather, who served throughout the war, wrote: </P> <P> I wouldn't have missed that unique and weird Christmas Day for anything...I spotted a German officer, some sort of lieutenant I should think, and being a bit of a collector, I intimated to him that I had taken a fancy to some of his buttons...I brought out my wire clippers and, with a few deft snips, removed a couple of his buttons and put them in my pocket . I then gave him two of mine in exchange...The last I saw was one of my machine gunners, who was a bit of an amateur hairdresser in civil life, cutting the unnaturally long hair of a docile Boche, who was patiently kneeling on the ground whilst the automatic clippers crept up the back of his neck . </P>

Did they play football on christmas day in ww1