A ninth-century truce still pauses wars for Easter
History
Modern combatants still honor a medieval code of mercy, pausing drone strikes to exchange hundreds of captives during the most sacred week of the Orthodox calendar.
In the ninth century, Byzantine leaders established a 'flag truce' based on religious law that mandated mercy during the week of Pascha. This ancient tradition survived long enough to facilitate a massive gesture during World War I, when a 1916 ceasefire allowed for the return of one million soldiers. Today, the same spirit of restraint periodically halts modern warfare.