Editing Matins (section)

{{Short description|Canonical hour of Christian liturgy}}
{{About|liturgy in Western and Eastern Christian traditions}}
{{Redirect|Morning Office|other religious observances|Morning Prayer (disambiguation){{!}}Morning Prayer}}
'''Matins''' (also '''Mattins''') is a [[canonical hours|canonical hour]] in [[Christian liturgy]], originally sung during the darkness of early morning (between [[midnight]] and [[dawn]]).

The earliest use of the term was in reference to the canonical hour, also called the [[vigil (liturgy)|vigil]], which was originally celebrated by [[monk]]s from about two hours after midnight to, at latest, the dawn, the time for the canonical hour of [[lauds]] (a practice still followed in certain orders). It was divided into two or (on Sundays) three [[nocturns]]. Outside of monasteries, it was generally recited at other times of the day, often in conjunction with lauds.