Vigil vs. Wake — What's the Difference?

A watch kept during normal sleeping hours, particularly for a spiritual purpose.

A gathering or ceremony held in someone's honor after their death, before the funeral.

A gathering or event organized to show support for a cause or to commemorate an event.

Traditionally, a time to celebrate the life of the deceased with stories and reminiscences.

A period of staying awake during the usual hours of sleep, especially for prayer or watchfulness.

An occasion for family and friends of the deceased to receive visitors and accept condolences.

An act of staying alert to guard or observe.

A watch or guard kept beside the body of someone who has died, often involving social gathering and mourning.

A watch kept during normal sleeping hours.

In some cultures, a ritualistic or ceremonial observance associated with death.

The eve of a religious festival, observed with special acts of devotion.

In fluid dynamics, a wake may either be: the region of recirculating flow immediately behind a moving or stationary blunt body, caused by viscosity, which may be accompanied by flow separation and turbulence, or the wave pattern on the water surface downstream of an object in a flow, or produced by a moving object (e.g. a ship), caused by density differences of the fluids above and below the free surface and gravity (or surface tension).

A vigil, from the Latin vigilia meaning wakefulness (Greek: pannychis, παννυχίς or agrypnia ἀγρυπνία), is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance. The Italian word vigilia has become generalized in this sense and means "eve" (as in on the eve of the war).

To cease to sleep; become awake

The act or a period of observing; surveillance.

To stay awake

The eve of a religious festival observed by staying awake as a devotional exercise.

To be brought into a state of awareness or alertness

Often vigils Ritual devotions observed on the eve of a holy day.

To hold or attend the wake of someone who has died.

A public assembly convened, often at night, as a political protest or in support of a cause.

To cause to come out of sleep; awaken.

An instance of keeping awake during normal sleeping hours, especially to keep watch or pray.

To stir, as from a dormant or inactive condition; rouse

A period of observation or surveillance at any hour.

To make aware; alert or enlighten

The eve of a religious festival in which staying awake is part of the ritual devotions.

A gathering of people in the presence of the body of a deceased person in order to honor the person and console one another.

A quiet demonstration in support of a cause.

A parish festival held annually, often in honor of a patron saint.

Abstinence from sleep, whether at a time when sleep is customary or not; the act of keeping awake, or the state of being awake; sleeplessness; wakefulness; watch.

An annual vacation.

Hence, devotional watching; waking for prayer, or other religious exercises.

The visible track of turbulence left by something moving through water

Originally, the watch kept on the night before a feast.

A track, course, or condition left behind something that has passed

A religious service performed in the evening preceding a feast.

(intransitive) (often followed by up) To stop sleeping.

A period of sleeplessness

(transitive) (often followed by up) To make somebody stop sleeping; to rouse from sleep.

A devotional watch (especially on the eve of a religious festival)

To put in motion or action; to arouse; to excite.

A purposeful surveillance to guard or observe

To be excited or roused up; to be stirred up from a dormant, torpid, or inactive state; to be active.

To be or remain awake; not to sleep.

(obsolete) To be alert; to keep watch

(obsolete) To sit up late for festive purposes; to hold a night revel.

The act of waking, or state of being awake.

The state of forbearing sleep, especially for solemn or festive purposes; a vigil.

A yearly parish festival formerly held in commemoration of the dedication of a church. Originally, prayers were said on the evening preceding, and hymns were sung during the night, in the church; subsequently, these vigils were discontinued, and the day itself, often with succeeding days, was occupied in rural pastimes and exercises, attended by eating and drinking.

A number of vultures assembled together.

(nautical) The path left behind a ship on the surface of the water.

The movement of water created when an animal or a person moves through water.

(aviation) The turbulent air left behind a flying aircraft.

(figuratively) The area behind something, typically a rapidly-moving object.

The track left by a vessel in the water; by extension, any track; as, the wake of an army.

The act of waking, or being awaked; also, the state of being awake.

The state of forbearing sleep, especially for solemn or festive purposes; a vigil.

An annual parish festival formerly held in commemoration of the dedication of a church. Originally, prayers were said on the evening preceding, and hymns were sung during the night, in the church; subsequently, these vigils were discontinued, and the day itself, often with succeeding days, was occupied in rural pastimes and exercises, attended by eating and drinking, often to excess.

To be or to continue awake; to watch; not to sleep.

To sit up late festive purposes; to hold a night revel.

To be excited or roused from sleep; to awake; to be awakened; to cease to sleep; - often with up.

To be exited or roused up; to be stirred up from a dormant, torpid, or inactive state; to be active.

To rouse from sleep; to awake.

To put in motion or action; to arouse; to excite.

The consequences of an event (especially a catastrophic event);

An island in the western Pacific between Guam and Hawaii

The wave that spreads behind a boat as it moves forward;

A vigil held over a corpse the night before burial;

Be awake, be alert, be there

Stop sleeping;

Arouse or excite feelings and passions;

Make aware of;

Cause to become awake or conscious;

Not necessarily; the duration and manner of a vigil can vary, though staying awake during typical sleeping hours is common.

A vigil is primarily a period of watchfulness or observance, often with a spiritual, protest, or memorial intent, whereas a wake is a gathering to mourn and remember the deceased before a funeral.

While wakes are mourning events, they can also celebrate the deceased's life, sharing joyful memories and connections.

Community plays a crucial role in a wake, providing support and comfort to the bereaved family and honoring the deceased's life together.

At a wake, friends and family gather to mourn, share memories of the deceased, and often view the body before the funeral.

Yes, vigils can be secular, serving as gatherings for protest, memorial, or solidarity without religious connotations.

Wakes differ culturally in their customs, ranging from somber viewings and prayers to more celebratory remembrances of the deceased's life.

No, vigils are not always related to mourning; they can also be held for prayer, protest, or commemoration of significant events.

The main purpose of a vigil is to keep watch or observe a period of wakefulness, often for prayer, reflection, or commemoration.

While wakes can vary in location, they traditionally take place in private homes or funeral homes.

Yes, anyone can organize a vigil, whether it's a personal act of devotion or a public event for a cause or commemoration.

In many cultures, food is served at wakes, providing comfort and facilitating social connections among mourners.

Viewing the body at a wake allows for a personal farewell and can help in the grieving process by acknowledging the reality of death.

Yes, vigils can have themes or be dedicated to specific causes, such as remembering victims of violence or showing solidarity with a community.

Personal beliefs deeply influence the observance of vigils and wakes, shaping their practices, rituals, and the meaning attributed to them by participants.