The liturgy intended as the first (and arguably, the primary) celebration of Easter. It is also known as the Great Vigil. The service begins in darkness, between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter, and consists of four parts:

1. The Service of Light (kindling of new fire, lighting the Paschal candle, the Exsultet)
2. The Service of Lessons (readings from the Hebrew Scriptures interspersed with psalms, canticles, and prayers)
3. Christian Initiation (Holy Baptism) or the Renewal of Baptismal Vows
4. The Eucharist

Through this liturgy, we recover an ancient practice of keeping the Easter feast. Believers would gather in the hours of darkness ending at dawn on Easter to hear scripture and offer prayer. This night-long service of prayerful watching anticipated the baptisms that would come at first light and the Easter Eucharist.