New Year Preparation brings enthusiasm among city dwellers.

Evangelical messages will be heard tonight in churches across Douala to spur attending members set objectives and take resolutions for the New Year. The night of December 31 is a night of transition in Christendom, which will again be marked by worship services across various denominations to end with the celebration of New Year Day tomorrow January 1, 2015.

Just before New Year eve today, most Pentecostal churches have circulated invitations and handbills announcing prayers and special divine encounters during a ‘grand crossover night service’ to go beyond midnight and usher in the New Year. Some people who have not been regular in attending church services during the year normally answer present in the house of God. Some Christian TV channels have dubbed it ‘Candle night’ or ‘Transition service’ by mainstream churches such as the Baptist, Catholic and Orthodox denominations.

Many people prefer being in the church to avoid the excesses that marks the day. Some people make it a point to begin the year in the house of God, praising God for His grace which allows them for being alive in the New Year even if they did not recognise Jesus and His work as the most precious goal to pursue for their salvation to eternal life.

On the other hand, colourful gatherings and merry-making by thrift and loans, “Njangis” and family meetings, as well as ritual gatherings under the palaver tree among the Sawa and Bassa tribesmen are some exciting features of the day; often enigmatic to unaccustomed settlers in the economic capital. Circles of indigenes are set to feast in groups with the pouring of wine and libation as blessing for year 2015.

Furthermore, shops dealing in party wear including gowns, ladies bags, shoes, waistcoat, cosmetics, synthetic mesh and human hair are expecting to make good business though customers are yet to overcrowd shops. Mustapha, a manager in a ready-to-wear garment shop in the Douala Central Market lamented that sales are very timid. Employees of another shop selling shoes, suits, evening and wedding gowns, washed hawkers making good cash from the sales of low quality shoes while hoping good fortune will smile at them at the end of the day.