A re-creation of one of the most famous moments from the First World War will take place in Arbroath on Friday.
The Christmas lights switch-on will feature a 100-year commemoration of the famous incident when German and British troops in the trenches joined together to sing Silent Night.
Soldiers from both sides laid down their weapons and met in No Man’s Land before shaking hands and playing a game of football on Christmas Day 1914.
The rare truce was also re-created by Sainsbury’s in this year’s festive advert, which has already racked up over 13 millions views on YouTube.
The Rev Martin Fair, of St Andrew’s Church in Arbroath, said: “Members of Arbroath Male Voice Choir will sing Stille Nacht in German to re-create the famous incident.
“I think it will be incredibly poignant to mark the 100th anniversary of the first Christmas in the trenches.
“It’s frightening to think the majority of these guys were just teenagers.”
The Arbroath Royal British Legion Scotland Pipe Band will get proceedings under way at 5.30pm.
The parade will set off from the abbey, down the High Street at 6pm and will comprise Arbroath Rotary Club’s Dickensian carollers, Limelight and the cast from this year’s panto.
They will join the male voice choir and other groups in Kirk Square where there will be community carol singing, the pipe band and the switching on of the lights by 14-year-old Dionne Geddes.
The commemoration of the famous trenches incident will then take place.
The idea came from Arbroath Town Centre Retailers’ Association chairman Chic Grant, who served as a Royal Marine at Condor from 1971 to 1998.
The truce was a series of widespread, unofficial ceasefires that took place along the Western Front around Christmas 1914.
During the week leading up to Christmas, parties of German and British soldiers began to exchange seasonal greetings and songs between their trenches.
On occasion, the tension was reduced to the point that individuals would walk across to talk to their opposite numbers bearing gifts.
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, many soldiers from both sides ventured into No Man’s Land, where they mingled, exchanging food and souvenirs.
Henry Williamson, then a 19-year-old private in the London Rifle Brigade, wrote to his mother on Boxing Day: “The ground is sloppy in the actual trench, but frozen elsewhere.
“In my mouth is a pipe presented by the Princess Mary.
“In the pipe is tobacco. Of course, you say. But wait. In the pipe is German tobacco. Haha, you say, from a prisoner or found in a captured trench. Oh dear, no! From a German soldier. Yes a live German soldier from his own trench.
“Yesterday the British and Germans met and shook hands in the ground between the trenches and exchanged souvenirs, and shook hands.
“Yes, all day Xmas day, and as I write. Marvellous, isn’t it?”
Arbroath Rotary Club president-elect David Miller said: “Arbroath Rotary Club is delighted our group of Dickensian carollers has been asked to lead the procession along the High Street.
“This year our group will be augmented by members of the Arbroath Rotaract Club and some friends of Rotary and we’re looking forward to our biggest audience yet.”