Legal Definitions - vigil

In ecclesiastical law, a vigil refers to the day immediately preceding a major religious holiday or solemn feast day. It is often observed with special prayers, fasting, or other preparatory practices in anticipation of the main celebration.

• Consider Christmas Eve, which falls on December 24th. In many Christian traditions, this day is observed as the vigil for Christmas Day, a solemn feast celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Families might attend special evening services, prepare for the next day's festivities, or engage in quiet reflection, all in anticipation of the major holiday.

  This illustrates the term because December 24th is precisely "the day before" the solemn feast of Christmas Day.

• Another example is the day before All Saints' Day, which is celebrated on November 1st. The preceding day, October 31st, traditionally serves as the vigil for this solemn feast, which honors all Christian saints. While modern secular traditions often associate October 31st with Halloween, its ecclesiastical significance is as a preparatory day for All Saints' Day, sometimes involving specific prayers or services.

  Here, October 31st functions as the vigil because it is the day directly preceding the solemn feast of All Saints' Day.