night vigil
Wakeful darkness hours
A night vigil is a period of purposeful wakefulness through the night, typically for prayer, mourning, protest, or watching over someone or something.
Religious traditions practice night vigils before holy days.
Mourners may keep vigil beside a body.
Protesters hold candlelight vigils to mark tragedies or advocate for causes: We held a night vigil outside the courthouse.
- candleWax stick with wick
- wakefulnessState of being conscious
- guardingActively protecting something
- midnight massWorship at Christmas's first hour
- prayerAddress to deity
prayer service · silent prayer · holy hour · bedside · silence · deathwatch · contemplation · darkness · alertness · matins · dawn · chanting · supplication · compline · stillness · hymns · intercession · sleeplessness
- Evening Prayersevening prayer, compline, evensong, vespers, sunset prayer
- Penanceconfession booth, act of contrition, contrition, penitent, public penance
- pilgrimage ritescircumambulation, prostration, ritual bathing, ritual washing, kora
- vigilsdeathwatch, wake
- holiday traditionsChristmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, New Year
- RamadanRamadan, iftar, fasting, holy month, breaking fast
night vigildeep sleep
Unconsciousness hard to rouse
slumber · sleep · peaceful rest · peaceful sleep · unconsciousness
night vigilinattention
Lack of focus
neglect · abandonment · oblivion · disregard · heedlessness