Compared to the blustery pronouncements of a rally, a candlelight vigil offers a more soulful and symbolically potent expression of dissent.
Unfortunately, routine and self-righteousness can strip vigils of their power. An artistic vigil, on the other hand, brings a more artful touch. It means thoughtful symbolism, the right tone and a distinct look and feel that clearly convey the meaning of the vigil. Use the power of ritual to both deepen the experience of participants and demonstrate that experience to observers.
By gathering every Thursday for more than a decade in the plaza in front of the Presidential Palace, they not only kept vigil for their lost loved ones, but also kept pressure on the government to answer for its crimes. The simple fact of women wearing black and gathering in silence on Fridays gives shape and presence to the Women in Black worldwide network of vigils. Begun by Israeli women during the First Intifada to protest the occupation of Palestine, it has since expanded across the globe and embraced broader anti-war and pro-justice themes, but nonetheless maintains its distinctive character.
At the other end of the spectrum, artist Suzanne Lacy has created complex works of art in which victims of sexual violence stand vigil amidst the art installations that tell their stories. Use the power of ritual Compared to the average political event, a ritual is expected to have a certain gravitas, a higher level of emotional integrity, even a transcendent quality for participants.
Like all rituals, a vigil should work at both the personal and political levels. Test your vocabulary with our question quiz! Build a city of skyscrapers—one synonym at a time.
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Synonyms for vigil Synonyms lookout , surveillance , watch Visit the Thesaurus for More. Examples of vigil in a Sentence kept vigil at their ailing son's bedside the entire time he was in the hospital. Recent Examples on the Web Buzzfeed reported that the Berkeley, California resident's cause of death was and still is, at the time of reporting unknown, but that a candlelight vigil to honor his life would be held in Berkeley on Thursday, November Teen in coma after crash," 10 July The vigil for immigrants took place before U.
Jim Sensenbrenner's July 5 town hall meeting at the library. Long, all-day fishing vigils often become an excuse to drink in the daytime.
Beautiful Trouble
Weston Phippen, Outside Online , "The Thai Soccer Team Trapped in a Cave Was Found Alive," 2 July But though the five were the most obvious casualties, those attending the vigil were careful to acknowledge that the people who survived the attack also suffered perhaps irreparable damage. First Known Use of vigil 13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a.
Learn More about vigil. Resources for vigil Time Traveler! Explore the year a word first appeared. Dictionary Entries near vigil vigesimal vigesimo-quarto vigia vigil vigilance vigilance committee vigilant.
Phrases Related to vigil keep vigil. Time Traveler for vigil The first known use of vigil was in the 13th century See more words from the same century. When a Jewish person dies, a watch is kept over the body and Tehillim are recited constantly, until the burial service.
St. Jude, Pray for Us
In Christianity , especially the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions, a vigil is often held when someone is gravely ill or mourning. Prayers are said and votives are often made. Vigils extend from eventual death to burial, ritualistically to pray for a loved one, but more so their body is never left alone. During the Middle Ages , a squire on the night before his knighting ceremony was expected to take a cleansing bath, fast , make confession , and then hold an all-night vigil of prayer in the chapel , preparing himself in this manner for life as a knight.
For the knighting ceremony, he dressed in white as a symbol for purity and over that was placed a red robe to show his readiness to be wounded, over which a black robe was placed as a symbol of his willingness to die for his king. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Artistic vigil | Beautiful Trouble
This article is about a period of intentional sleeplessness. For all other usages, see Vigil disambiguation. This section does not cite any sources.