New Year Eve: All-night celebrations widely cancelled - Nigerian worshipers at a loss

New Year's Eve is generally marked in Nigeria by millions of Christians gathered in churches to usher in the New Year, hoping for a prosperous year ahead.

 

But this year, because of Covid, and several admirers, desperate to turn the page on 2020, say they sense a vacuum, the all-night celebrations have been widely cancelled.

 

The chants of "Amen" and "Hallelujah" make the air of many Nigerian towns each December 31. Hugs and handshakes are shared, and the glare of fireworks fills the horizon at midnight.

 

It is not uncommon to hear optimistic declarations such as “This year is my year” — or to see thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of worshippers break into a dance of celebration at mass events.

 

But in several states across southern Nigeria, government-imposed Covid-19 restrictions mean that “crossover,” a key day in the calendar for Nigeria’s estimated 86 million Christians, will not happen this time.

 

As of Wednesday, over 85,500 cases of Covid-19 and 1,260 fatalities have been recorded in Nigeria. In the last few weeks, the country has seen a spike in cases, but the shortage of testing indicates that the number could be higher.

 

In Lagos, a metropolis of some 20 million souls, religious gatherings have been capped at 50% of the usual capacity for the venue.

 

Also Read: Three African Countries seeking to revive connected ports and maritime operations on the shared waters of Lake Victoria

In Nigeria, that can still be a lot of people — some churches are as big as stadiums, able to seat as many worshippers as a major football final. But services must not exceed two hours, and there is a midnight to 4:00 a.m. curfew. Many churches in Nigeria are accustomed to praying until the sun rises on the New Year.

 

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) originally rejected suggestions that churches not hold New Year’s Eve services. But it eventually backed down and asked churches to end their services before midnight instead.

 

The Precious Cornerstone Ministries, a church in Lagos with a congregation of around 1,000 members, said it would hold a socially distanced service from 7 pm to 9 pm to ensure that before the curfew the faithful would get home.