I almost always stay home ... I stayed home, closed my Hive books for the year, and gave praise to the Lord at the stroke of midnight. My ancestral tradition is watch night service, but there is no church near me so I do it myself.

By December 31, 1862, many enslaved Africans had heard that Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation would take effect on January 1, 1863 ... but they also knew a war was raging, and that if it was up to mankind, they would never be free or even see 1863, because it was known: there were those who would rather see them dead than free. So, they decided to stay up that night and "pray the New Year in" ... hence, watch night service. Of course, 1863 did come ... and they began the New Year praising the Lord together that they had made it, although for most, freedom would have to wait a few more years ... but they KNEW the Lord was going to do it for them, because they had seen the first day of 1863.

Today, every year many African Americans still go to church on the night of Dec. 31 to thank God for all He has done, ask Him for what we still need in the New Year, and start the New Year praising Him. There is no church having service near enough to me for me to venture out at night now, but, this is how I typically spend New Year's Eve to New Year's day.