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vigilia

eve, vigil; the night before

noun vee-JEE-lyah Less Common
Time Time Expressions

Origin: Latin 'vigilia' (watch, wakefulness), from 'vigil' (watchful).

Usage Note

Vigilia means the eve of an event, most commonly religious: la Vigilia di Natale (Christmas Eve), la Vigilia di Capodanno (New Year's Eve). In a secular context it simply means 'the day before': alla vigilia delle elezioni (on the eve of the elections). The religious sense of an all-night prayer vigil (veglia notturna) is related but less common in everyday use.

Examples

"La vigilia di Natale è il 24 dicembre."

Natural Translation

Christmas Eve is on 24 December.

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