UN diplomats mark war's 'Christmas truce' of 1914 with round of 'Silent Night,' penalty kicks
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}One hundred years after an unofficial "Christmas truce" in which British and German soldiers stopped fighting for a day in World War I, diplomats have gathered at the United Nations to mark the moment with "Silent Night" and penalty kicks.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon played referee as diplomats in jerseys lined up on a lawn on the U.N. compound to take good-natured — and often bad — shots on goal.
They also sang a stanza of "Silent Night" in English and then in German as "Stille Nacht."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The soldiers a century ago also sang and played football. Ban called the events un-choreographed and "quite extraordinary." He said about 100,000 troops took part in the brief truces to mark a shared holiday.
Millions were killed in that war.