Ghana gets ready to welcome 2011

….Kiribati to welcome 2011 first

Millions of New Year revellers will welcome 2011 in a blaze of fireworks, church service and parties on Friday, temporarily banishing the misery of extreme hardships, stress and poverty which might have affected them during the year.

Thousands of Ghanaian’s tonight will cram Churches to sing praises to God, for seeing them through 2010. Churches all over Ghana are organising vigils either at their auditoriums or parks to usher in 2011 amid deliverance and prophesies.

Ghana during the year 2010 might not have witnessed any natural disasters, like earthquakes, hurricanes and others but had it fair share of floods, accidents, financial challenges and many more.

In an interview with the Ghanaian Journal.com, Evangelist Stephen Ocran, declared 2011 as a year of breakthrough and said Christians would attain God given destines only if they wholly trust in Him. He explained that a breakthrough is a significant and dramatic overcoming of a formidable obstacle or when something happens unexpectedly.

He said spiritual breakthrough occurs when demonic forces flee or when God thwarts the plans of the enemy and redemption takes over and urged Ghanaians and the world to expect miracles in 2011

Meanwhile, the tiny Pacific nation of Kiribati, just east of the international dateline, will be the first to welcome in 2011 at 1000 GMT. The deeply religious community of about 6,000 will mark the occasion with village church services.

In New Zealand, which has experienced a mild heatwave over the festive period, a fireworks spectacular is planned in Auckland as part of a celebration themed “Hot in the City”.

Further south in Christchurch, hit by a powerful earthquake in September, officials only approved celebrations after late checks and modifications, including removing the city cathedral’s crucifix in case it falls on revellers.

In Asia, about 400 000 were expected at a glittering fireworks-and-laser display along neon-lit Hong Kong’s harbour, while millions of Japanese will visit Shinto shrines to “purify” their sins.

Although Lunar New Year is a much bigger event in the continent, thousands will brave Beijing’s cold for the countdown at an upmarket shopping centre, while about 7000 were expected at a kite-flying event in central Shanghai.

Thousands of people will jam Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake for midnight, while the “Bangkok Countdown” in a glitzy mall — scene of major anti-government protests this year — is the centrepiece of Thailand’s celebrations.

Revellers in Indian financial and entertainment capital Mumbai — scene of a 2008 attack that killed 166 people — were given the go-ahead to party through the night, despite intelligence about a possible New Year militant strike.

International News Credit: AFP