Source: The Boston Globe

On January 1, 2001, The Boston Globe reported that every New Year's Eve African-Americans crowd churches in celebration of "Watch Night," a tradition that, according to oral tradition, "dates back to Dec. 31, 1862, the night before the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. That evening slaves gathered at churches to stay awake through the dawn for protection and inspiration. They literally watched the night pass until they were free." The celebration of Watch Night varies from church to church: many pastors in the South, for example, follow Watch Night services with a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. All of its participants, however, share the "sense of holiness, community, and tradition" at the center of the holiday.