Vigil (liturgy)

In Christian liturgy, a vigil is, in origin, a religious service held during the night leading to a Sunday or other feastday.^[1] The Latin term vigilia, from which the word is derived meant a watch night, not necessarily in a military context, and generally reckoned as a fourth part of the night from sunset to sunrise. The four watches or vigils were of varying length in line with the seasonal variation of the length of the night.

^ Kinghorn, Kenneth C. (1999). The Heritage of American Methodism. Abingdon Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-687-05500-5. Early in church history, Christians held vigils during the evenings before church festivals. These vigils, or watch night services, seem to have been inspired by Jesus's example of praying all night before important decisions.

[Kinghorn1999-1] Kinghorn, Kenneth C. (1999). The Heritage of American Methodism. Abingdon Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-687-05500-5. Early in church history, Christians held vigils during the evenings before church festivals. These vigils, or watch night services, seem to have been inspired by Jesus's example of praying all night before important decisions.

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