As we get ready to transition from one year into the next, many of us are focused on the end of the Christmas season. While millions of Christians around the globe took part in Advent as a time of preparing for the spiritual aspects of the Christmas season, it’s important to note that there are other days on the Christian calendar.
For example, Watch Night, which is observed on December 31 has been a part of the Christian calendar since the 18th century. While millions of people take part in New Year’s Eve parties and other celebrations on this date, the Church has long taken the time to observe the spiritual ramifications of one year ending and another beginning.
The History of Watch Night
Watch Night, which is observed on December 31 each year, can be traced back to the 18th century in the Moravian Church. On this night, congregants would gather together and take part in church services and other religious activities that would mark the end of one year and the dawn of another. The practice became so popular in the 1800s that John Wesley even started holding Watch Night services with his Methodist congregation.
However, Watch Night became an even more important day in 1862. It was on that night that African Americans, many of whom were still enslaved gathered together to secretly celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. While Lincoln had officially declared that enslaved African Americans be set free on September 22 of the same year, the law would not officially take effect until January 1, 1863. With that in mind, African Americans gathered together in praise to God for their newfound freedom.
Frederick Douglas, a Christian leader who played a crucial role in the freedom of American slaves said the following about Watch Night:
“It is a day for poetry and song, a new song. These cloudless skies, this balmy air, this brilliant sunshine…are in harmony with the glorious morning of liberty about to dawn upon us.”
What Does Watch Night Look Like Today?
The answer to this question may vary largely depending on the local culture. Obviously, the days of slavery in America are thankfully over, but Watch Night is still an important date on the Christian calendar.
In many cases, churches gather together to have a special Watch Night service. These services generally start around 7 PM on New Years Eve and end around midnight. In some churches, congregants take place in a traditional church service starting at 7 and then take a break to enjoy a time of fellowship, often over a meal in the fellowship hall. The body of believers then gathers back together to pray in the new year.
In some other congregations, the observance of the African American idea of Watch Night is also visible. A few minutes before midnight, congregants will bow down in prayer, and will then sing out in unison, “Watchman, watchman, please tell us the hour of the night.” In return, the minister will then say, “It is three minutes until midnight.” This practice is then repeated each minute until midnight when the minister is finally able to declare, “It is now midnight, and freedom has come!”
How Can I Observe Watch Night?
It’s important to note that not every church has a special Watch Night service. If the church that you attend doesn’t have one, that’s completely acceptable. There is certainly no Biblical mandate for having a church service on New Year’s Eve.
However, if you want to take part in a Watch Night celebration, there are steps that you can take to do so on your own. Gather with your family before midnight, and spend some time praying for blessings in the New Year. If you don’t have others around you who want to take part in the New Years Eve tradition of Watch Night, you can also do this on your own.
Spend some time before midnight in prayerful self-reflection about the things that you have experienced in the previous year. Think about the times in the previous year that you have seen God move in your life. Also, spend some time thinking about ways that you can be a better Christian in the new year.
The knowledge that you’re transitioning from an old year into a new one is a great thing. It also gives you the opportunity to commit to making some personal changes. While there is certainly nothing wrong with these changes pertaining to personal fitness, financial discipline, or other practical steps, it’s even more important that you use the transition as a way to deepen your spiritual resolve. Take some time this New Year’s Eve to prayerfully approach the dawn of a new year, thank God for the things that you have seen Him do in your life, and commit to living a life that will be pleasing to Him in the new year.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for everything that You have blessed me with in 2021. As we get ready to transition into a new year, I want to be a stronger, better Christian. Show me areas in my life where I can grow, and help me to take advantage of those opportunities. I want to be a stronger Christian in 2022, and I know that You will show me how to make that a reality. I ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.