People welcome the New Year

Marking a new beginning

The city has woken up to bid fare-well to the fading year and the dawn has set for an English New Year. The New Year celebrations in the country has been popularised by the Christian community which indulges in an extended celebration of Christmas to mark the dawn of a new year called the Christian era.

On the eighth day the cradle ceremony of Christ coincides with the beginning of a Christian and English New Year on January 1.All the communities celebrate the New Year with pomp, revelry, music, cultural activities and the Christian community amidst New Year worship services which commence on the night of December 31 and ends with the New Year morning service on January 1.

Churches have been decorated with jasmine and rose flowers. The members of the churches dressed elegantly in white and in other fancy colors attend the church services which commenced at 9 pm in the night and went on until 12.30 am year.

The members of the church attributed all the goodness, health and protection enjoyed by them to the mercies of God and looked forward for God's guidance in the New Year. The reverend in the church sermonised on the past goodness of God and on the guidance of God in the New Year. Songs of praises accompany the gusto.

Hundreds of families were seen coming to the 500 odd churches in the city in the cold night of the last day of the year. Roads, lanes and by-lanes were filled with people old and young walking their way to the churches.

Educational institutions in the city too were busy with New Year Eve celebrations by organising programmes and cultural activities and even multi-disciplinary competitions.

Business establishments made roaring business especially the bakeries, sweet houses, restaurants, clothiers, flowers shops and a host of shops connected with celebration of New Year. Several youth groups had also organised a night long cultural activities and film shows to welcome the New Year.

Bishop Gali Bali of Guntur RCM diocese said that churches that celebrate the seasons of the Christian Year and use the Revised Common Lectionary in worship, marking a new Christian Year on the eve of or on the first Sunday in Advent is a natural practice.

“In Advent, we start a new cycle of readings that begin again the narrative of Christ’s birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension and the gift of the Holy Spirit that births the church,” he said. “For the Christian community Christmas and New Year revolves around God and how much he meant to them,” say Sharon Evangeline, a member of New Year Choir.

“New Year is a time for rededication of life to God,” says Catherine Susana, a member of Worship Band. “God is the author of old and new beginings in life and that is why we make it a point to go to Church on the New Year eve,” she adds.

City police have made elaborate arrangements for night patrolling in view of hundreds of women walking past the roads and streets to attend New Year services. Police are taking pre-cautionery measures to prevent boozers and New Year revelers from creating public nuisance during the night.

Meanwhile Minister for Social Welfare Ravela Kishore Babu have extended new year wishes and blessings of God on the people and on the government.