Holiday Word of the Week – Easter Vigil

When a friend asked, “Are you keeping an Easter vigil?” it seemed like “Yes!” was the right answer to give, but you’re not sure what you committed to. What is an Easter vigil and how do you keep one?

Photo: SXC/Billy Alexander

The Vigil is commonly held by Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican churches on Saturday nights, as they celebrate the fact that the next day will be Easter Sunday, when Christ rose from the grave. Many other Christian religions celebrate the arrival of Easter morning with a Sunrise service instead.

According to Women for Faith and Family, each part of the liturgy represents a part of the Resurrection process. A Sunrise service also usually follows the journey from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection, often through a series of songs and Bible passages.

So, if you said you would attend an Easter vigil, you basically said you were going to gather with other people who believed as you do to celebrate the arrival of Easter Sunday.