Ghanaians usher in New Year with prayer, thanksgiving

Ghanaians across the country Saturday dawn ushered in the year 2022 with prayers and thanksgiving.

Worldwide, the New Year is a moment of celebration for millions of people and marked with diverse activities from midnight and throughout the day.

In Ghana, Watch Night Services and other vigil activities heralded the New Year festivities, with thousands of people keeping wake to welcome the New Year.

At midnight, a moment of thunderous excitement was experienced in every part of the country, especially at the watchnight services where millions gathered to usher in the New Year.

Some people ushered in the New Year at pubs and clubs, singing praises to God and celebrating the rest of the night until daybreak.

The watchnight services were on different themes, with the congregants praying for their families, leaders of the country and various sectors of the economy and Africa.

Notwithstanding the ban on explosives and firecrackers, they featured prominently, blaring in Street corners and open spaces - a tradition that has characterised the occasion for years.

Families and friends are expected to gather, reunite, fraternise and set fresh resolutions and targets for the New Year, during the day.

Beaches, restaurants, malls, hotels and recreational centres are also expected to record high patronage throughout the day for merry-making.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service had announced that the country had entered the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and called for strict adherence to the safety protocols during the celebration.