Kids & Parents
Silent Night During the Great War
12.08.14
In 1914, a terrible war was being waged in Europe. The millions of soldiers who fought knew the conflict as the Great War. Today we call it the First World War. Soldiers dug trenches to protect themselves from enemy fire. The area that separated the trenches was called No Man’s Land.
On Christmas Eve of 1914, soldiers from the British army could hear the German soldiers singing "Stille Nacht" across No Man’s Land. They recognized the tune as the Christmas carol, "Silent Night". That was the start of the Christmas Truce.
"Stille Nacht" was written on December 24, 1818 in Austria. This lullaby-like German carol became known around the world. The song we know as "Silent Night" was translated to English in 1863. You can find hundreds of different recordings of Silent Night or Stille Nacht on our Freegal site. Des Plaines cardholders can choose five songs each week to download for free.
You can learn more about the Christmas Truce and the song that started it in these books.
By Jim Murphy
In a stunning narrative illustrated with archival photos, two-time Newbery Honor Book author Jim Murphy weaves the voices of World War I soldiers with historic background and riveting accounts of a miraculous Christmas Truce.
Shooting at the Stars: The Christmas Truce of 1914
By John Hendrix
In 1914 France, a British soldier writes to his mother about the strange events of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, when German and Allied soldiers met on neutral ground to share songs, food, and fun.
Silent Night: The Song and Its Story
By Margaret Hodges and Tim Ladwig
Tells how the well-known Christmas carol, "Silent Night," first came to be written and performed in Austria in the early 1800s.
By Werner Thuswaldner & Robert Ingpen
From the lives of its poor and downtroaden creators, to how this glorious composition went on to transcend classes and cultures, the history of "Silent Night" is one worth celebrating.
World War I for Kids: A History with 21 Activities
By R. Kent Rasmussen
Explores the defining conflict that involved all theworld's superpowers--including how it began, what a soldier's daily life was like, the role of zeppelins, key figures, and how it ended--and features hands-on activities that illuminate both the war and the times.
By Jim Murphy
In a stunning narrative illustrated with archival photos, two-time Newbery Honor Book author Jim Murphy weaves the voices of World War I soldiers with historic background and riveting accounts of a miraculous Christmas Truce.
Shooting at the Stars: The Christmas Truce of 1914
By John Hendrix
In 1914 France, a British soldier writes to his mother about the strange events of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, when German and Allied soldiers met on neutral ground to share songs, food, and fun.
Silent Night: The Song and Its Story
By Margaret Hodges and Tim Ladwig
Tells how the well-known Christmas carol, "Silent Night," first came to be written and performed in Austria in the early 1800s.
By Werner Thuswaldner & Robert Ingpen
From the lives of its poor and downtroaden creators, to how this glorious composition went on to transcend classes and cultures, the history of "Silent Night" is one worth celebrating.
World War I for Kids: A History with 21 Activities
By R. Kent Rasmussen
Explores the defining conflict that involved all theworld's superpowers--including how it began, what a soldier's daily life was like, the role of zeppelins, key figures, and how it ended--and features hands-on activities that illuminate both the war and the times.