The tradition of Watch Night services in the United States dates back to Dec. 31, 1862, when many Black Americans gathered in churches and other venues, waiting for President Abraham Lincoln s Emancipation Proclamation to become law, and thus free those still enslaved in the Confederacy. It s still being observed each New Year s Eve, at many multiracial and predominantly Black churches across the country.
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The tradition of Watch Night services in the United States dates back to Dec. 31, 1862, when many Black Americans gathered in churches and other venues, waiting for President Abraham
The Black American tradition of spending New Year’s Eve in prayer and fellowship dates all the way back to the Civil War. It’s deeply rooted in the long-awaited dawn of freedom for enslaved Africans and their hopes for the future.