Watchnight service - wikipedia Watchnight service A watchnight service is a late - night Christian church service. In many different Christian traditions, such as those of Baptists, Methodists and Pentecostals, watchnight services are held late on New Year 's Eve, and ends after midnight. This provides the opportunity for Christians to review the year that has passed and make confession, and then prepare for the year ahead by praying and resolving. The services often include singing, praying, exhorting, and preaching. Contents 1 Methodism 2 Presbyterianism 3 African - American churches 4 Anglicanism and Catholicism 5 References 6 External links Methodism Further information : Wesley Covenant Prayer Following the lead of a small Christian denomination called the Moravians in what is now the Czech Republic that began having `` watch '' services in 1733, the founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley, originated watch night services in 1740, sometimes calling them Covenant Renewal Services. The services provided Methodist Christians with a godly alternative to times of drunken revelry, such as Christmas Eve and New Year 's Eve. Today, a Methodist watchnight service includes singing, spontaneous prayers and testimonials, as well as scripture readings ; the liturgy for this service is found in The United Methodist Book of Worship. Presbyterianism In the Church of Scotland, the Watchnight service is a popular ceremony marking the beginning of Christmas Day. This is known as Midnight Mass elsewhere. African - American churches Watchnight service has added significance and history in the African - American community in the United States, since many slaves were said to have gathered in churches on New Year 's Eve, in 1862, to await news and confirmation of the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln, on January 1, 1863. Anglicanism and catholicism In Anglican or Roman Catholic churches, this ceremony is often replicated in the form of a Midnight Mass or Eucharist. References ^ Jump up to : James Ewing Ritchie ( 1870 ). The Religious Life of London. Tinsley Brothers. Retrieved 28 December 2011. At A WATCH - NIGHT SERVICE : Methodism has one special institution. Its lovefeasts are old - old as Apostolic times. Its class meetings are the confessional in its simplest and most unobjectionable type, but in the institution of the watch - night it boldly struck out a new path for itself. In publicly setting apart the last fleeting moments of the old year and the first of the new to penitence, and special prayer, and stirring appeal, and fresh resolve, it has set an example which other sects are preparing to follow. ^ Jump up to : Anna M. Lawrence ( 5 May 2011 ). One Family Under God : Love, Belonging, and Authority in Early Transatlantic Methodism. University of Pennsylvania Press. Retrieved 28 December 2011. In 1740, Wesley started watch - night services for the coal miners of the Kingswood area, offering this nocturnal worship as a godly alternative to spending their evenings in ale - houses. The watch - night services consisted of singing, praying, exhorting, and preaching for a number of hours. Wesley meant to establish it as a monthly practice, always at full moon to keep the meeting well lit. In America, this service often supplanted times of traditional drunken revelry, like New Year 's Eve and Christmas Eve. Jump up ^ `` Watch Night services provide spiritual way to bring in New Year ''. The United Methodist Church. Retrieved 28 December 2011. Methodism founder John Wesley originated Watch Night services in the mid-18th century, sometimes calling them Covenant Renewal services. The original services were spontaneous prayer services designed to deepen the spiritual life of Methodists. Jump up ^ `` Watch Night services provide spiritual way to bring in New Year ''. The United Methodist Church. Retrieved 28 December 2011. The service is loosely constructed with singing, spontaneous prayers and testimonials, and readings, including the Covenant Renewal service from The United Methodist Book of Worship ( pp. 288 - 294 ). Jump up ^ `` Christmas Eve Christmas Day and Boxing Day Services ''. The Times. London. 2005 - 12 - 17. Retrieved 2010 - 05 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Watch Night services provide spiritual way to bring in New Year ''. The United Methodist Church. Retrieved 28 December 2011. Watch Night took on even more significance during the Civil War. When President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, it was to take effect Jan. 1, 1863. Slaves sat up the night before, waiting for their freedom to arrive at midnight. External links Look up watch night in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Liturgy for Watchnight Service Christmas Christmas Eve Children 's Day Boxing Day Nochebuena Saint Nicholas Day St. Stephen 's Day Sol Invictus Yule In Christianity Biblical Magi Adoration of the Magi Adoration of the Shepherds Advent Angel Gabriel Annunciation Annunciation to the shepherds Baptism of the Lord Bethlehem Christingle Christmastide Epiphany Herod the Great Jesus Joseph Mary Massacre of the Innocents flight into Egypt Nativity Fast Nativity of Jesus in art in later culture Nativity scene Saint Nicholas Star of Bethlehem Twelfth Night In folklore Badalisc La Befana Belsnickel Caganer Christkind Ded Moroz Elves Father Christmas Grýla Jack Frost Joulupukki Knecht Ruprecht Korvatunturi Krampus Mikulás Miner 's figure Mrs. Claus Nisse / Tomte North Pole Old Man Winter Olentzero Père Fouettard Père Noël Rudolph the Red - Nosed Reindeer Saint Lucy Santa 's reindeer Santa 's workshop Sinterklaas Tió de Nadal Vertep Yule Cat Yule Lads Zwarte Piet Gift - bringers Saint Nicholas Santa Claus List of Christmas gift - bringers by country Traditions Advent calendar Advent candle Advent wreath Boar 's Head Feast Candle arches Cards Carols by Candlelight Cavalcade of Magi Crackers Decorations Events and celebrations Feast of the Seven Fishes Flying Santa Google Santa Tracker Hampers Las Posadas Letters Lights Markets Meals and feasts Moravian star Nine Lessons and Carols NORAD Tracks Santa Nutcrackers dolls Ornaments Parades list Piñatas Pyramids Räuchermann Seals Secret Santa Spanbaum Stamps Stockings Tree Twelve Days Wassailing Windows Yule Goat Yule log By country Australia and New Zealand Denmark Germany Hawaii Hungary Iceland Indonesia Ireland Mexico Norway Philippines Poland Romania Russia Scotland Serbia Sweden Ukraine Music Carols list Hit singles UK Hit singles US Music books Carols for Choirs The Oxford Book of Carols The New Oxford Book of Carols Piae Cantiones Other media Films Poetry `` Old Santeclaus with Much Delight '' `` A Visit from St. Nicholas '' Television specials Yule Log In modern society Advent Conspiracy Black Friday ( partying ) Black Friday ( shopping ) Bronner 's Christmas Wonderland Christmas club Christmas creep Christmas Day ( Trading ) Act 2004 Christmas Lectures Christmas Mountains Christmas truce Controversies Cyber Monday Economics Giving Tuesday El Gordo Holiday season In July In August Leon Day NBA games NFL games Puritan New England American Civil War Post-War United States Running of the Santas SantaCon Santa 's Candy Castle Small Business Saturday Super Saturday Virginia O'Hanlon White Christmas Winter festivals WWE Tribute to the Troops Xmas Food and drink Dinner Joulupöytä Julebord Kūčios Réveillon Twelve - dish supper Smörgåsbord Wigilia Sweets bûche de Noël Cake Candy cane Cookies Fruitcake Gingerbread Kourabiedes Melomakarono Mince pie Pavlova Pecan pie Pumpkin pie Pudding Rosca de reyes Szaloncukor Turrón Soup Menudo Sauce Cranberry sauce Beverages Apple cider Champurrado Eggnog Mulled wine Smoking Bishop Ponche crema Dumpling Hallaca Tamale Meat Ham Roast goose Romeritos Turkey Stuffing Portal New Year 's Eve and New Year 's Day Events America 's Party First Night Hogmanay New Year 's Eve in London Objects dropped on New Year 's Eve Peach Drop Pelican Drop Réveillon de Copacabana Sydney New Year 's Eve The Possum Drop Times Square Ball Vienna New Year 's Concert Sports College Football Playoff bowls Rose Orange Sugar Fiesta Cotton Peach Citrus Bowl Gator Bowl Outback Bowl Tour de Ski Four Hills Tournament NHL Winter Classic Spengler Cup Final IIHF World U20 Championship Saint Silvester Road Race New Year Sprint Nos Galan road race Parades Tournament of Roses Parade London 's New Year 's Day Parade Florida Citrus Parade Mummers Parade Television New Year 's Rockin ' Eve Fox 's New Year 's Eve with Steve Harvey New Year 's Eve with Carson Daly New Year Live CNN New Year 's Eve Live ¡ Feliz ! MTV New Year 's The Big Fat Quiz of the Year Bye Bye Dinner for One Happy New Year, America Hogmanay Live Hootenanny Kōhaku Uta Gassen Little Blue Light Only an Excuse ? Red Bull New Year No Limits Rudolph 's Shiny New Year Scotch and Wry Silvesterstadl `` Silvesterpunsch `` 2000 Today ( US, Ireland ) Happy New Year, Charlie Brown ! First Night 2013 with Jamie Kennedy Music `` Auld Lang Syne '' `` Happy New Year '' `` What Are You Doing New Year 's Eve ? '' `` Levy - Dew '' `` New Year 's Day '' Related topics New Year films Gregorian calendar Baby New Year Calennig Hogmanay Holiday season Leap second Guy Lombardo New Year 's resolution New Year tree Saint Sylvester 's Day Vasilopita Watchnight service Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Watchnight_service&oldid=818595337 '' Categories : Christian worship and liturgy New Year celebrations Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 4 January 2018, at 13 : 37. 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Question: what's the meaning of watch night service
Answer: opportunity for Christians to review the year that has passed and make confession, and then prepare for the year ahead by praying and resolving