Christmas in Wartime

Throughout periods of war and conflict, people have found creative ways to celebrate the Christmas season.

Join Katherine Howells from The National Archives and Anthony Richards from the Imperial War Museums as they share fascinating objects, documents and images from the archives that tell stories of wartime Christmases which can be surprising, funny and deeply poignant. From war diaries documenting the famous Christmas truce of 1914, to a propaganda film portraying Christmas during the Blitz, you’ll discover the varied records which give us a unique insight into the experiences of people celebrating Christmas in the face of war.

Katherine Howells is Principal Records Specialist of Visual Collections at The National Archives. Anthony Richards has worked at the Imperial War Museum for more than 25 years. An experienced historian and qualified archivist, he has contributed to many publications and media projects based on personal written testimony of the two world wars, including two books about Christmas.

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