The tradition of Watch Night services in the United States dates back to December 31, 1862, when many black Americans gathered in churches and other locations, waiting for President Abraham Lincoln to sign the Emancipation Proclamation into law, freeing those still enslaved were made. the Confederacy.
It is still celebrated every New Year's Eve in many multiracial and predominantly black churches across the country.
As the Civil War raged, Lincoln issued an executive order on September 22, 1862, declaring that enslaved people in the rebellious Confederate states were legally free. However, this decree – the Emancipation Proclamation – would not come into effect until the stroke of midnight, which heralded the new year.
Those present at the first Watch Night included many African Americans who were still legally enslaved when they gathered, sometimes in secret.
“At the time, enslaved black people could find little respite from ever-present surveillance, even in practicing their faith,” explains the National Museum of African American History and Culture. “White slave traders feared that religion, often used to suppress slave resistance, could fuel exactly the opposite if practiced without observance.”
Throughout its 160-year history, Watch Night has become an annual New Year's Eve tradition; it not only commemorates freedom from slavery, but also celebrates the importance of faith, community and perseverance.
This description of the African American Museum provides some details:
“Many congregants across the country bow in prayer minutes before midnight, singing, 'Watchman, watchman, please tell me the time of night.' In return, the minister replies: “It is three minutes before midnight,” “it is one minute before the new year,” and “it is now midnight, freedom has come.”
The museum notes that Watch Night worship services were traditionally followed by a “casual meal” on New Year's Day, often featuring a dish called Hoppin' John.
“Traditionally, Hoppin' John consists of black-eyed peas, rice, red pepper and salt pork, and is believed to bring good luck to those who eat it,” the museum says. “Some other common dishes include: candied yams, cornbread, potato salad, and macaroni and cheese.”
Some services will take place virtually this year, without in-person attendance. Beulah Baptist Church in Philadelphia and First Congregational Church in Atlanta are among those choosing this option.
Among the many churches offering in-person services are Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City's Harlem neighborhood, Reid Temple AME Church in Glenn Dale, Maryland; and Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton, New Jersey.
In Salem, North Carolina, the Rev. William Barber II, a prominent anti-poverty and social justice activist, will lead an interfaith Watch Night service at Union Baptist Church along with its senior pastor, Sir Walter Mack. The event is billed as a “service of lament, hope and call to action.”
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