Blessing of the Fire, Easter Vigil

What exactly is this thing called "Blessing of the Fire"? We've been Catholics all our life but we've never really participated in something like that. So when we were told that there's this "Easter Vigil" we decided to give it a go!

Easter Vigil, defined by Wikipedia as:

...also called the Paschal Vigil or the Great Vigil of Easter, is a service held in many Christian churches as the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. Historically, it is during this service that people are baptized and that adult catechumens are received into full communion with the Church. It is held in the hours of darkness between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Day—most commonly in the evening of Holy Saturday—but is considered to be the first celebration of Easter Day, since the Christian tradition considers feasts and other days of observance where Masses are celebrated to begin at sunset of the previous day.
     In the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, the Easter Vigil is the most important Mass of the liturgical year as well as the first celebration of the Gloria during the fifty-day long celebration of Easter, and is marked by the first use since the beginning of Lent of the acclamatory word "Alleluia", a distinctive feature of the liturgy of the Easter season. Similarly, in Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy, the Divine Liturgy which is celebrated during the Easter Vigil is the most elaborate and important of the ecclesiastical year. The Easter Vigil has enjoyed a substantial revival among the Lutherans.

Now there are some rules to follow:

1. Ask the "regulars" or the parish exactly what time is the vigil. We arrived at 5:30 pm only to find out that it's scheduled for 8pm.
2. Ask what exact candle/bottle to bring. (See photos to know why)

By the time we got there

Lighting of the fire

 

Catholics

Priest leading the way to the Church

Off to the chapel

Going to St. Therese of the Child Jesus Chapel

I like this blurred effect

dle

Then leaders slowly lit everyone's candles (sort of like "Pass the light")

Since it's my friend Joy's first time as well, she brought Tea Lights! Haha Kyoot! 

Lights were turned off while listening to the hour long readings

Lights were turned on during the actual mass

My favorite priest is STCJP's Father Thor. 

My sister getting Holy Water. We were told by those who attends Easter Vigil regularly to bring an empty bottle for the Free Holy Water.

We were at the Chapel earlier and saw Father Thor, helping with the actual decorations. Very hands on!