The Ypres front line was already in high spirits.
They lit rows of candles at the edge of the trenches, cleverly setting up shovels to shield from the wind. In the flickering candlelight, someone played an accordion, and a large crowd of soldiers gathered around, including British, French, and German soldiers.
They sang popular Christmas carols from various countries in tune with the accordion. Those who didn't know the lyrics just hummed along to the rhythm, singing and dancing, sharing the cherished liquor from their pockets.
In the no-man's land between the trenches, on a relatively flat piece of land, the soldiers marked out a football field, using torches as boundaries, barbed wire to create goals, and a bundle of straw as the football. Players from two teams ran joyfully, vying for the ball.
Captain Claude acted as the referee, his whistle originally used for ordering attacks was now repurposed as a football whistle. He even made red and yellow cards with paint.
