Introduction

Vigil, tacuinum sanitatis casanatensis (XIV century)

A vigil (from the Latin vigilia, 'wakefulness') is a period of sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching or observance. It can also be the eve of a religious festival observed by staying awake as a devotional exercise or ritual devotions observed on the eve of a holy day, such as the Easter Vigil held on Holy Saturday.

In Christianity, especially Orthodox and Roman Catholic faith traditions, a vigil is often held when someone is gravely ill, or dying. Prayers are said and votives are often made. Vigils extend from eventual death to burial, ritualistically to pray for a loved one, but more practically so they are never alone.

When a Jew dies, a watch is kept over the body and Tehillim are recited constantly, until the burial service.