USA Africa Dialogue Series - NEW YEAR DAY idiosyncrasies

NEW YEAR DAY idiosyncrasies

BY KAYODE KETEFE

Today is the New Year eve, so the ritualized countdown to the New Year 2016 has started as the eve begins the slow exhilarating culmination into New Year Day. (Exact hours differ across the nations of the world because of the different time zones) The December 31st cum January 1st have become a sort of universal public holiday since the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1752 and is often celebrated worldwide with lavish eating, drinking, socialising, fireworks and perfunctory exchange of gifts that is not necessarily actuated by charitable intentions.
Although fascination with dates and figures is a universal human foible, the Nigerian contemporary culture is so emotionally engrossed with numbers that almost any day to which any distinctive adjective can be bestowed is celebrated. Thus the first day of the week, first day of the month, first Sunday of the year, the last Sunday of the year, and even the first working day of the year are deemed worthy of veneration with special thanksgiving!-a culture not only welcome but actively encouraged by religious establishments who, of course, are recipients of the thanksgiving proceeds.
The New Year Eve/New Year Day is so esteemed that it has anaphoric effect reaching back to September (the first of the so-called four "ember" months) with people actually starting countdown in form of preparation for the New Year.
The "ember" months themselves have been mystified; there are some people who truly believe the months are jinxed because of the reality of statistically verifiable escalation in the accidents, fatality, crimes and other disasters. Some religious leaders have also contributed to this superstitious culture of demonisation of the said four months. This writer once heard a preacher saying that in "ember" months, demons temporarily translocate from Hell to dwell in the earthly realm with a mission to spread tears and sorrow!
Of course, every discerning mind knows that nothing is inherently wrong with "ember months" and that evil spirits have not chosen the said period to unleash sadistic havoc on humanity as some people claim. The phenomenon of tragedies associated with the period is explicable sociologically on the grounds of enhanced hustle bustle of socio-economic activities and virtual intensification of existential exigencies, inducing a concomitant higher incidence of both human errors and man's deliberate mischief.
Back to the New Year Eve/ Day, many people are firmly rooted in the belief that a prayer piously said at the sacred hour just preceding the transition into New Year has some superior sanctity which makes it more efficacious than supplications made during any other period of the year. Thus, many people would dare not think of fording into a new year, with all its uncertainties, without the psyching up effect produced by last minute ferocious invocations.
For this reason, places of worship invariably fill to the brim and overflow on the eve of every New Year. A number of these last day supplicants are "emergency" worshippers who have either not attended church since the beginning of the year or could only boast of scanty attendances. Notwithstanding, these, freely mingle with the regular faithful in the annual ritual of emotion-laden supplications at the hours straddling the end of the outgoing year and the beginning of a fresh one.
Such is the faith reposed in this perfunctory rogation that it is not uncommon to find a group of young people busy guzzling down beer in the company of ladies of easy virtues at a place adjacent to a church, who would rush frantically into the church a few minutes to twelve o' clock to partake in the explosive "spiritual" adjuration only to retire to their drinking joint after shouting the ritualistic "Happy New Year" heartily with alcohol-induced euphoria.
There are also many who believe that all the sins they have committed since January would be forgiven and obliterated from God's inerrant record just for a few hours of piety accompanied with temporary penitence on the magical Eve. The belief in this nocturnal sanctification on the last day of the year is so prevalent that murderers, liars, backbiters, looters of public funds, in short, wicked people of all sorts, would not be outdone in thronging the places of worship for the yearly orison to procure blessings. God is expected to hearken to them simply because the day is December 31st.
No attempt is being made to suggest people should not engage in thanksgiving, praise worship prayers and other rituals, what is being condemned is the apparent deification of the day itself (as evinced in numerous human foibles associated with it) rather than focus on God whose powers and might are not confined to anytime, God is timeless!
The truth is that a person whose heart is in close communion with God at all times needs not ride on the crest of New Year Eve's frenzy supplications to feel reassured of God's protective powers and enduring love. No single hour or minute holds any divine key to God's heart. We should just strive to live in conformity with his ordinances at all times.

Ketefe may be followed on twitter @Ketesco







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