Watch Night religious tradition celebrates importance of faith among black Americans

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (RERDNA) – 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 to sign the Emancipation Proclamation into 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.

What is the historical background of Watch Night services?

As the Civil War raged on, Lincoln issued an executive order on Sept. 22, 1862, declaring that enslaved people in the rebellious Confederate states were legally free. However, this decree — the Emancipation Proclamation — would not take effect until the stroke of midnight heralding the new year.

Those gathering on the first Watch Night included many African Americans who were still legally enslaved as they assembled, sometimes in secrecy.

“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 enslavers feared that religion, which was often used to quell slave resistance, could incite the exact opposite if practiced without observance.”

How have Watch Night traditions evolved?

Over its 160-year history, Watch Night has evolved into an annual New Year’s Eve tradition — it not only commemorates freedom from slavery, but also celebrates the importance of faith, community and perseverance.

Source: AP