Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 2
New Year 2019 in Nagaland was greeted with revelry, reflection and hope for a better future as citizens marked the first day of the year with pomp and religious fervour.
The celebration began on early on December 31 as people wait for the midnight countdown with family, friends and others.
In most churches, especially in the villages, the New Year is greeted with special midnight service where the congregations reflected on days gone by and pray for a blessed New Year.
The Christmas and New Year programmes in many churches continue from the Christmas Eve to New Year’s night service.
Others hold karaoke night, entertainment programmes as well as New Year parties as they waited for the New Year.
Along with the joyful and reflective celebration, however, the usages of firecrackers have increased in recent years. Many took to social media regarding the same.
In commercial capital Dimapur, bursting of firecrackers was heard since the early evening of December 31 from all corners till the wee hours of January 1. Revellers continued the same on Tuesday evening, though it was much lesser than the previous night.
In state’s capital Kohima, some citizens reported that bursting of crackers were much lesser than last year, though it was not absent.
After a night of celebrations, the January 1 morning usually reserved for solemn worship of gratefulness, reflections as well as renewal for the days ahead.
As people thronged to churches across the state, the messages from the pulpit were usually the similar veins –expressing gratitude for past and new affirmations for future with hope and prayers.
The faithful also greeted and wished each other for a blessed and prosperous year ahead.
In a church in Dimapur, a pastor made an illustrative reflection on cost of bursting of crackers vis-a-vis other utilities. While not openly disapproving the practices, he urged the congregation of thousands to celebrate such festivity on a conscientious and thoughtful manner, citing the economic as well as other related impacts.
It was also a day of outing as families, friends and others headed to different locations. The banks of Chathe River and Dhansiri River were most crowded as people from Dimapur city as well as surrounding areas headed to riverside for picnic on New Year. Such outings generally continue throughout January.
Earlier on December 31, 2018, the Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio, while extending his New Year greeting to the people urged for reflection and preparation for “what’s ahead.”
“I hope the New Year bring peace, good health and prosperity in everyone’s life. Best wishes for a happy and blessed 2019,” conveyed Rio on a Twitter post.
