# New Year's Eve Service



## Backwoods Presbyterian (Oct 29, 2014)

We had some talk after Bible Study tonight about having an open house with a worship service and the discussion turned towards doing this on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. I know there is a long tradition, especially in Dutch churches, of having this service. 

I am looking for ideas, comments, etc... on those who have done this service and what that usually looks like, etc...

Thanks!


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## Edward (Oct 29, 2014)

Midnight or earlier in the evening? 

Late and you risk turning your parishioners out on the road with the drunks. 
Earlier and you are competing with the Fiesta or Orange Bowl. One of which could have a Mississippi team competing.


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## Jack K (Oct 29, 2014)

When I was growing up, our church made a full evening out of it. We would gather after dinner to eat desserts and play games and such, then held a prayer meeting with some singing leading up to midnight. There was not a formal service with preaching and all... instead, it had the feel of a church family gathering. It was memorable to me because it was the only time all year the whole church gathered to enjoy games together. And praying together felt like an appropriate way for God's people to welcome a new year. Even now, 30 years later, I miss all-church prayer on New Year's Eve.

There was also a worship service on New Year's Day (required because we were in the Dutch Reformed tradition), but I can't say it was ever very memorable.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Oct 30, 2014)

bump


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## jwithnell (Oct 30, 2014)

I had not heard of this tradition -- what was the impetus for it, starting the calendar year with God?


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## whirlingmerc (Oct 30, 2014)

dinner... games... then a service, candle lighting...


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## Curt (Oct 30, 2014)

Nothing wrong with an extra worship service. The colonists of this country (USA) had regular days of prayer and worship. It was a good idea then and still is.


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## Contra_Mundum (Oct 30, 2014)

Did the original "New Year's" service (Dortian R.C.O.) correspond to the secular, or the ecclesiastical (presumably western) New Year? I haven't been able to get a plain answer on that. The Dutch Republic adopted Jan.1 as the first of the year in 1583 (see Julian calendar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). But as I understand it, the handful of reserved "holidays" to be observed (per the R.C.O.) was a concession to those who missed the traditional liturgical calendar. And the start of that year (to some anyway) is with Advent, so falling somewhere around the beginning of December.

Secular and ecclesiastical New Year days have (so far as I know) never been exactly aligned. And the secular New Year's Day has varied from country to country. According to the Wiki article linked above, Byzantine liturgical NYD is Sept.1. Numbered years in western countries switched over on various days, even down into the seventeenth century, e.g. on March 25, Dec.25, Sept.24.

A special service _ordained_ to mark the passing of an arbitrarily determined, secular calendar switch strikes me as more odd than a carry over from the old liturgical calendar, which definitely is tied to the other four Dortian prescriptions (Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and Ascension). I have little concern for any liturgical calendar matter; I'm just curious as to how this final prescription of NYD has weathered all this calendric drama.


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