Start your own Watch Night traditions

When did it start?

The earliest known record of a New Year observance was in Egypt around 2773 BC. Historians recorded that the year began when -- after it had not been visible for several months -- the star Sirius first became visible above the eastern horizon for a brief moment just before sunrise.

The star’s appearance usually coincided with the start of the flood period of the Nile and came not long after the longest day of the year, the summer solstice in June, according to Encyclopedia Americana. Ancient Phoenicians and Persians began their new year with the autumn equinox in September 21 – when night and day are equal. The Greeks observed their new year with the winter solstice in December – the shortest day of the year.

Today, the Chinese New Year is celebrated officially for a month beginning in late January or early February.

The Muslim New Year falls on the first day of the month of Muharram. Since the Muslim year consists of only 354 days, the new year constantly changes from winter to spring to summer and fall. The Jewish New Year is observed during September or early October. Hindus in different parts of India celebrate the new year on various dates.

For the ancient Romans, the year began on March 1 -- but after 153 BC, it was shifted to January 1.

In medieval times most of Christian Europe regarded March 25, Annunciation Day, the day the Angel Gabriel told Mary that she would give birth to Jesus, as the beginning of the year.

When the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1582, January 1 was restored as New Year’s Day by the Catholic church. Scotland did not adopt the new calendar until 1660, Germany and Denmark around 1700, England and the American colonies in 1752 and Russia not until 1918 after the Bolshevik Revolution.

When did partying start?

The Babylonians were the first known to celebrate a New Year’s festival -- around 2000 BC. Their New Year began in mid-March with the new moon nearest the spring equinox, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Many ancient cultures performed rituals to do away with the past and purify themselves for the upcoming year, reports World Book. “For example, some people put out fires they were using and started new ones.”

The Celts celebrated the new year on November 1, marking the end of summer and the harvest, and the beginning of the cold, dark winter ahead. They built “sacred” bonfires to scare off evil spirits and to honor their sun god.

Ancient Romans gave each other coins imprinted with pictures of the god Janus, for whom January was named. He had two faces, one looking forward and the other looking backward.

Many American colonists celebrated the new year by firing guns into the air and shouting. In 1993, the New Orleans Times-Picayune published a front-page informational graphic reminding citizens about the law of gravity: that whatever goes up – such as bullets -- eventually must come down. A woman celebrating the previous New Year in the French Quarter was s killed by such an airborne bullet.

A time for freedom

On December 31, 1862, African-American congregations throughout America gathered for special Watch Night services. In September 1862, President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, freeing all slaves. A little-known fact is that slavery existed not only in the South, but also in the border states of Maryland, Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky – and there are census records of some slaves reported in the northern states, such as New Jersey.

Skeptical that President Abraham Lincoln would keep his word about emancipation, African Americans, both free and slave, as well as abolitionists, prayed through the night and into the day. Abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass stayed at a church in Rochester, N.Y., until 10 p.m. on New Year's Day, awaiting a cable that assured him that the law had been put into effect.

Watch Night today

Today some African-American congregations still observe Watch Night – reflecting on the day slaves were set free. Many were unsure what would happen – or how to start new lives in freedom. They had no jobs, no homes, no way to provide for their families. However, their new freedom was understood as divinely sent -- and there was trust in God to protect them in their passage from captive to free. Today’s services often start around 10 p.m. and include praise and worship music, singing of hymns and a word from the pastor to serve as a theme for the New Year.

Author Wanda Ravernell describes one such celebration: “There are no party favors, no paper whistles, no shiny hats for these celebrants. They won't be greeting the new year with a champagne toast. It will be joyful, but sober, especially during those last 10 minutes when the preacher stops preaching, the choir quiets down and those who are so inclined, get down on their knees and pray.”

At some churches, Lincoln’s proclamation is read aloud. The service sometimes includes a period of testimony thanking God for what He has done in the past year.

A time for family tradition

Many families have their own traditions – which mean young children get to stay up far past their bedtimes – until midnight. Greeting the new year together as a family has a number of benefits – such as the tradition that everybody is home and off the dangerous streets on one of the worst nights of the year for alcohol-related traffic deaths.

Many families enjoy age-appropriate board games together – Clue, Monopoly, Scrabble, Uno or other popular games from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. or so. Everybody enjoys finger foods and snacks – a veggie tray with dip, cheese and meats or bowls of popcorn or chips. Taquitos, mini‐quiche and pizza rolls are easy frozen treats that may be heated up as you need them. Mini-hotdogs, smoked oysters and shrimp wrapped in bacon are also great treats that everybody enjoys.

Around 11 p.m., serve two old southern traditional New Year’s favorites – oyster stew and black-eyed peas chowder.

Family predictions

As everybody is chowing down, you might want to introduce a fun tradition in which everybody – including the kids – make predictions for the upcoming year. Start by writing a list of questions such as “Will we have a new car this time next year?” “What kind of grades will [child’s name] make this year?” – and other such questions about how Little League baseball, soccer and football teams will do, who will win upcoming chess tournaments and so forth.

Then next year, see who made the best predictions. Keep the predictions. As the kids get older, it can be a lot of fun to read their answers from past years such as “Will Johnny get a skateboard?” – and the answer: “Suzy didn’t know, she’s playing with the cat under the table!”

Then you might want to give everybody five minutes each to share something special or memorable that happened in the last year. Mom or Dad might want to write that down – to read aloud in years to come.

New Year’s resolutions

In the final minutes before midnight, ask everybody to think about a special promise they’d like to make to the Lord. Is there something they’re going to resolve to do better next year? For adults, this can be to lose weight, take up jogging, quit gossiping with Aunt Maude, or to read your Bible daily. For kids, it can be whatever they think of – such as not fighting with their siblings, cleaning up their room regularly or making better grades.

Then as midnight is just seconds away, pray together – one person praying aloud for the whole family, asking God to give them a special year, to protect, provide and guide the family for the best year ever.

If your family enjoys singing together – feel free! Some families love it, others can’t keep a tune and would rather not!