 The truces were not unique to the Christmas period , and reflected a growing mood of " live and let live " , where infantry close together would stop overtly aggressive behaviour and often engage in small @-@ scale fraternisation , engaging in conversation or bartering for cigarettes . In some sectors , there would be occasional ceasefires to allow soldiers to go between the lines and recover wounded or dead comrades , while in others , there would be a tacit agreement not to shoot while men rested , exercised or worked in full view of the enemy . The Christmas truces were particularly significant due to the number of men involved and the level of their participation — even in very peaceful sectors , dozens of men openly congregating in daylight was remarkable — and are often seen as a symbolic moment of peace and humanity amidst one of the most violent events of human history . 
