I never understood the significance of the Watch Night Service on New Year’s Eve. Perhaps, it was because I could see no connections to Christian traditions. Recently I became aware that the Moravians and latter John Wesley observed the practice as a time of reflection on the past year and anticipation of the coming year. The reflection was meant to focus on the spiritual issues past and future. In the African American church community there was another significance. On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves was enacted. Anticipating Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Proclamation many African Americans held services all night on December 31, 1862, waiting for the announcement of their freedom. Many African American congregations still celebrate with services beginning in the evening and extending to midnight. These new understandings have caused me to rethink what a Watch Night Service could be. It might even be worth staying up past midnight to celebrate freedom and reflect on our past and future together.