I’m Dreaming Of Home

Fraternizer’s Hymn (I’m Dreaming Of Home) was composed by Philippe Rombi for the movie Joyeux Noël (2004). It is performed by the boys’ choir Libera. On December 24, 1914, with no orders from superiors, German, British (Scottish), and French soldiers across the Western Front put down their weapons and celebrated Christmas together. It is called “The Christmas Truce of 1914.” It was not a unanimous event. In fact, there was still fighting going on in certain sections. Nevertheless, about 100,000 German and British soldiers took part in the ceasefires. The truce lasted for almost 2 days. It has never happened again to that extent. The troops met in the middle of no man’s land. They would share drinks and food, show family pictures and family stories, talk about themselves and their dreams for after the war, exchange addresses, and ask for letters to be delivered to loved ones caught on the “wrong side” of the line. They would also sing Christmas carols and shared in communal Christmas Masses. Troops also decided to use the time to bury their dead and, in a few cases, to exchange prisoners. One of the most memorable events that took place were the games they played. There were card games, chess games, and, of course, football (soccer) games. At the end of the truce, all troops returned to their trenches with a new appreciation of their counterparts. They all had the same love of life, freedom, country, and love of family. They all had dreams of a peaceful future. But most importantly, they all wanted to go home.