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Churches to keep watch
Local congregations to bring in new year with praise
Published Saturday, December 29, 2007
Natchez — New Year’s Eve offers more than just parties.
At least 11 local churches will be having watch services Monday night until midnight. The services range in style but have one thing in common — praise.
“The service consists of us sitting, praying, testifying and singing until midnight,” Mount Olive Baptist Church secretary Geraldine Brown said.
Many of the services are based around testimonies given by the congregation. Testimonies can be happy or sad, as long as they recognize the blessing received in the past year, Zion Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Reverend Birdon Mitchell said.
“We share and recognize the blessing of God, we remember the sad, but we recognize how God has brought us through it and we watch the New Year come in,” Mitchell said.
The services are full of music and singing, in order to celebrate a new year.
“Our service opens with a song of scripture and of prayer, we testify on how good the Lord has been in 2007 and we express our hopes and desires for 2008,” Brown said.
Many of the churches hold the service out of tradition.
“I attended the service as a child at my home church and it so happened that when I got here they observed the same service and I wanted to continue it here,” Mitchell said.
The attendance of the service varies from year to year, but usually it usually boasts a good crowd.
“This service is something that has been made into a tradition; everyone enjoys doing it,” Brown said.
According to Mitchell, there is more than one way to have fun on New Year’s Eve.
“Some people spend New Year’s at a party until the next day, we choose to spend time with God,” Mitchell said. “Instead of watching the ball drop, we will be here thanking God for his blessings.”
Churches that will be holding a New Year’s Ever Service include:
4 Rising Sun Full Gospel Baptist Church — 8 p.m.
4 Greater Mount Carmel Baptist Church — 9:30 p.m.
4 St. Mary Baptist Church — 10 p.m.
4 Jerusalem Baptist Church, Kingston — 10 p.m.
4 Zion Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church — 10 p.m.
4 St. Peter, Beulah, Macedonia and King Solomon at St. Peter — 10 p.m.
4 Antioch Baptist Church — 10 p.m.
4 Greater St. Mark Baptist Church — 10 p.m.
4 Mount Olive Baptist Church, Sibley — 9:30 p.m.
4 Zion Chapel Church, Kingston — 9 p.m.
4 Greater New Jerusalem Apostolic Healing Temple — 10 p.m.
Comments
Posted by buttercup26 (anonymous) on December 29, 2007 at 1:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i sat my alarm clock just so i could get up and read the paper after midnight HOPING THAT IT HAD SOME INFO AND or UPDATE ON THE MAN THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THE CAR ACCIDENT ON FOSTER MOUND ROAD EARLY FRI. MORNING.. (WELL NOT REALLL EARLY IT WAS A LIL BEFORE LUNCH...) i mean it was ONE NAST HEAD ON COLLISION FROM WHAT MY FRIEND AND I SAW! WITH ONE MAN LAYING OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH looking seriously hurt...
AND THERE ISN'T ONE THING IN THE PAPER ABOUT IT...
HMM?????? i mean just a lil side story saying how he and the other party that was involved would've been nice... oh well, guess i'll do some calling around tomorrow and get bits and pieces of the story...
Posted by Amend (anonymous) on December 29, 2007 at 8:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Watch night is a tradition of enslaved people in America waiting for January 1, 1863 to come as that is when the Emancipation Proclamation took effect. One minute after midnight on January 1, 1863 enslaved people in the slavery states of America that were in rebellion against the United States were declared free. Roughly a half million enslaved people were not declared free by the Emancipation Proclamation in border states or certain parishes and counties in American. It is good to see the watch night tradition carried out each night before January 1st., however, it is very doubtful if those who participate are educated as to the original purpose of watch night.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on December 29, 2007 at 8:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And here I thought it would be a night of prayer for our country and all people for the coming year. I had no idea of the watch night tradition. Our church will hold one, but it will be at our house with a bonfire and prayer at midnight.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on December 29, 2007 at 9:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Buttercup, we saw a bad wreck the Sat. night before Christmas on MLK just past the middle school. Involved a truck and 2 cars, truck looked like it had rolled and 1 of the cars was sideways in a big ditch. Not a word did we read about it. I wish they would put those in somewhere, maybe a specail column to let us know how the people are and what happened.
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on December 29, 2007 at 10:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Freedom; Why the public makes the assumptions they do, I will never know, BUT, I also assumed you to be a MAN. I guess because you spoke of the military so often and we have been mentally conditioned to think of the military personnel as male. We are now re-conditioning ourselves to accept the fact our brave women are now enlisting as well as the men. God does not make distinctions when He calls someone to the service of their county and we are slowly beginning to realize this. I have to laugh now, thinking the thoughts I've had about you. As in: Look here, we finally have found a male who thinks along the lines a female does, who has the sensitivity of a woman, who understands as a woman. I have thought many times how lucky 'His Wife' is to have such a sensitive man. Ha Ha. The laughs on me. But on another note, I have sincerely enjoyed your post. They are always uplifting and brightens my days. Thanks.
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on December 29, 2007 at 10:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And another thought; Maybe the paper just didn't want to spoil out big day with sad news. You have to admit we have had our share of it during the holidays. Maybe they will make a full account of it in the next day or two.
Posted by beammeupscotty (anonymous) on December 29, 2007 at 11:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Urban legend this started back in the 1700s not in 1862 or 3. Internet search sure makes it easy to check things out.
Posted by buttercup26 (anonymous) on December 29, 2007 at 11:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
((freedom42)) that's what i'm talking about! bonfires and just a HUGE CELEBRATION AT MIDNIGHT!! (lol that's probably not what you was getting at but those are the two words that i 'comprhended!')
lol... YA'LL HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Posted by noneya (anonymous) on December 29, 2007 at 12:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
thanks for the info beam...some folks only have colored eyeglasses and see what they only want to see.
Posted by noneya (anonymous) on December 29, 2007 at 12:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
copied from the web...you be the judge where the tradition really started:
New Year's Eve - A Brief History
To most of us New Year’s Eve is a big party night to welcome the new year in. But where did the tradition come from?
Since the dark ages in Celtic countries New Year’s Eve has always been celebrated and more so than at Christmas. Bonfires were lit and kept burning all night to ward off evil spirits and to encourage the sun to return. This symbolised the burning of the old year out.
Before 1600, celebrations were practised on 6th January, but in 1600, the 1st January officially became New Year Day and became included in the Yuletide celebrations.
We still get dressed up on New Year’s Eve, but these days it’s party wear. Historically it was customary on New Year’s Eve for people to walk the town and houses carrying cow hides and chanting rhymes in Gaelic, whilst beating skins with sticks and striking walls of houses with clubs to keep hostile spirits at a bay.
It was also customary to place a silver coin outside the house on New Year’s Eve. If the coin was still there the following day it would indicate a prosperous year ahead.
This led to the custom of placing a piece of coal, a piece of bread and a silver sixpence outside the house for good luck and prosperity. New Year was also the focal point for all household and business tasks to be completed.
First footing was also an old custom and is still practised today on New Year’s Eve. This is where the Old Year is let out through the back door and the New Year let in through the front door at the chimes of midnight. It was, and still is, custom that the first person at the New Year to pass over the threshold should be a dark haired male bringing coal or whisky for luck in the New Year.
The celebration of New Year’s Eve, or Hogmanay (Moon of the Hag), is worldwide and millions of people from around the world, particularly in Edinburgh, London and New York, gather together to celebrate the new year in to the Robert Burns song ‘Auld Lang Syne’ which means for old time sake.
So now you know! Happy New Year to you and enjoy all those New Year’s Eve parties.
Posted by dottie (anonymous) on December 29, 2007 at 1:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GOD BLESS.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on December 29, 2007 at 1:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Happy New Year to ALL! and just to further clear the record, my husband was in the Navy, but I also had brothers, cousins, nephews and one son in the military. I have never been enlisted myself. LOL But I thought about it just before I met my husband. Hey, Buttercup, we're gonna roast hotdogs, make s'mores, and set off fireworks too. Maybe even have a few beers since we're not Baptists! Come on Over!
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on December 29, 2007 at 2:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Happy New Year to all!! I enjoy reading your comments!
I will be going to church, and ringing in the New Year there. :-}
Posted by buttercup26 (anonymous) on December 29, 2007 at 5:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
((freedom42)) i would be SOOOO DELIGHTED!! regardless to what YOUR GUESS would be drinking i would have a GREAT TIME!! i'm not much of a drinker... and i CAN'T ever remember drinking anything but dr.pepper (not them 'flammin dr. peppers either hahaha) i guess i just march to the beat of my own drum.. lol, while everyone is 'wasted and celebrating' i'm sober haha, but when every one is sober i'm DRINKIN like a fish!
S'MORES SOUND SOOO GREAT!!!! AND SOOO MESSY AT THE SAME TIME! THAT'S MY KIND OF PARTYING!!!! WHEN YOU GET THAT FIRST LIL BIT OF CHOCOLATE ON YOUR FINGERS OR LIL BIT OF MARSHMELLOW CHEERS IT TO BUTTERCUP ON THE COAST!! I'LL CHEERIN TO YOU ((FREEDOM)) AS WELL!! ;)
Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on December 30, 2007 at 9:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
((Amend)) I just read what you said, and I didn't know that. But I go to watch meeting to celebrate the blessings that my Jesus has given me troughout that year, and most importantly, the fact that he allowed me to live through that year. Then after I leave church, I go home aand enjoy the day. But the information that you just gave is very interesting. I am interested in learning more about that. But each year, I look forward to seeing the New Year in my usual way. Every other year I may miss it. Hey, there isn't anything wrong with a little fun. Right? LOL!
Happy New Year to all of you! PLEASE BE CAREFUL! Look out for the other guy, because he or she may be too drunk or excited to look out for you. Have a safe new year! Don't have so much fun that you may wake up in someone else's front yard reaching for your alarm clock and discovering you don't know how you got there. LOL!! But seriously, be careful!
Posted by trulyblessed (anonymous) on December 30, 2007 at 7:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
In regards to the accident that occurred on MLK, past the Middle School. I know that two of the young men were students at Natchez High School. One was treated and releasesd, while the other was transported to Jackson, but word is he is doing pretty good.
Posted by LdyBreez (anonymous) on December 31, 2007 at 11:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
To read more about the Urban Legend of Watch Night, you can visit: http://www.snopes.com/holidays/newyears/...
This urban legend started circulating via e-mail in April of 2001. Very interesting write up...
Snopes is a very good place to check out every piece of email that comes in alerting you to email petitions, virus threats, child's last wishes etc... Most of the time they can be found on Snopes with a true or false rating.
Posted by LdyBreez (anonymous) on December 31, 2007 at 11:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh Yeah... HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! May God bless each and everyone of you in 2008!
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on December 31, 2007 at 4:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LdyBreez - I went to the Snopes site - very interesting. I have a question now. In the Preleminary Emancipation Proc., Lincoln said that the slaves in all states in rebellion against the United States would be freed? What about the slaves being held in states still within the Union? And I know from history that there were some. Several years ago, Mississippi finally put an end to slavery in its law books. What about these other states? If not then theoratically slavery is still legal in the northern states which remained in the Union. Not trying to stir anything up honestly, just wondering.
Posted by Crazynms (anonymous) on January 1, 2008 at 1:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Happy New Years to ALL
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