The Easter Vigil, also called the Great Vigil of Easter, is a service held in many Christian churches as the official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. The service includes the first use of the word alleluia since the beginning of Lent as well as the first Eucharist of Easter. It is held on Holy Saturday night. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Easter Vigil is the most important mass of the liturgical year. In Eastern Orthodoxy its Divine Liturgy is held to be the brightest of all of them and is reflected to a degree in all the others. The Easter Vigil has gained similar regard in many of the churches of the Anglican Communion.

In the Western Christian tradition the service normally consists of four parts:

1. The Service of Light
2. The Service of Lessons ("The Liturgy of the Word" in Roman Catholicism)
3. Christian Initiation, or the Renewal of Baptismal Vows
4. The Holy Eucharist

Most churches do not begin the service until after sundown on Holy Saturday. The service begins in the darkness, often in a place other the main sanctuary, such as a side chapel, or perhaps outside. The chief features of the service are the lighting of a fire (which, with candlelight, is the only light at the beginning of the service), the baptism of new converts, and the shout of:

"Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
The Lord is Risen indeed! Alleluia!"

After this acclamation, the lights come on and the congregation processes to the main sanctuary, if necessary. Often bells are then rung whilst the people and/or choir sing a joyful canticle such as Gloria in Excelsis, Te Deum or Pascha Nostrum. Celebration of the Eucharist then continues as usual.

In Eastern Orthodoxy the service runs as follows with some minor local variations:

1. The Midnight Office is served on Holy Saturday shortly before midnight.
2. All the lights in the church are extinguished. A new fire is struck in the altar and distributed to the people. All the clergy and the people exit the church and process three times around it while singing a hymn.
3. Before the front doors of the church, ideally at the stroke of midnight, the clergy followed by the people sing the Paschal troparion and the Paschal greeting "Christ is risen!" "Truly He is risen!" is exchanged for the first time. To the singing of the troparion, everyone enters the church.
4. An extremely festal Matins is celebrated.
5. The Paschal hours are sung.
6. The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is celebrated as usual, but with special features in commemoration of the feast.

At some convenient moment, normally following Matins, the Paschal Sermon of St. John Chrysostom is proclaimed. Following the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy blessed eggs dyed red are usually distributed to the people for the breaking of the fast, and baskets of food for the feast that follows are blessed with holy water. The service is generally finished by about 3:00 A.M.

External links

• An Easter Vigil service