Mahashivratri`s 5 Stories every kid must know

Lord Shiva is considered as a Destroyer within Hindu Trinity that includes Brahma (the creator) & Vishnu (The sustainer).
Maha Shivaratri means the Great Night of Shiva, a festival dedicated to Lord Shiva and celebrated according to the Lunar Calendar on the 14th day of the waning phase of the moon Falgun (February-March).

There are many beliefs and stories associated to this auspicious day.

STORY 1:
One belief is that this is the day when Shiva and Parvati got married.

STORY 2:
It is believed that this is the night when Shiva performed Tandava – the dance of the primordial creation, maintenance and destruction.

STORY 3:
In Linga Purana it is said that on this day Shiva manifested himself in the form of Lingam.

STORY 4:
It`s the day when Shiva drank the entire poison coming from Samudra Manthan in order to save the Universe.
->The Ocean of Milk represents the perfect world full of peace and happiness for all. Amrit represents happiness, and the poison is human selfishness and greed. Shiva symbolizes Atma – the Self. People do many things in order to be happy and often they are overpowered by their own selfishness and greed that destroy all efforts at keeping the peace and happiness. Therefore the only way to attain peace and happiness and overcome greed and selfishness is to meditate on Atma, the Divine Self, in the night, because it is the only time when a man is undisturbed by the material world

STORY 5:
Story of a hunter who shot many birds but even though unknowingly worshipping Lord Shiva & got free of his sins.
-> no matter what the sins and the way of life, the one who observes fasts, prayers and pooja in the night of Shivaratri is granted great mercy from Lord Shiva

Details Stories
(Story 4) Sagar Manthan & it`s deeper meaning
There are many stories and legends related to Maha Shivaratri, and one of the most popular is the one about Lord Shiva drinking poison in order to save the world, and this is where the blue throat of Lord Shiva comes from – Nil Kant Mahadev, as depicted on many images. Devas and Asuras were churning the ocean to get Amrita – the Nectar of Immortality. They used the Snake Vasuki as the stirring, churning rope. When Amrit was almost at the point of being extracted, the first thing that came out of the mouth of the snake was a deadly poison. Control over the poison was lost, so it threatened to destroy the entire world with its vapors and immerse it into darkness. When they realized what happened, Devas ran for help both to Brahma and Visnu, but nobody could help them. Finally Lord Shiva drank the entire poison in order to save the Universe. The poison remained in his throat. Even though he was strong enough to neutralize it, he had to stay awake the entire night, so in order to keep him awake, Gods kept him company and entertained Him with songs and dance. In memory of this, on that day the devotees of Shiva stay awake all night and close to their Lord. This story has a deeper symbolical meaning. Devas and Asuras represent different people, the good and the bad ones. The Ocean of Milk represents the perfect world full of peace and happiness for all. Amrit represents happiness, and the poison is human selfishness and greed. Shiva symbolizes Atma – the Self. People do many things in order to be happy and often they are overpowered by their own selfishness and greed that destroy all efforts at keeping the peace and happiness. Therefore the only way to attain peace and happiness and overcome greed and selfishness is to meditate on Atma, the Divine Self, in the night, because it is the only time when a man is undisturbed by the material world.

(Story 5) Story of Hunter
A hunter who shot many birds and got stuck in the woods in the evening. To protect himself from wild animals and survive the night which came upon him while he was hunting, he climbed the tree called Bilva – bael. In order to stay awake, the hunter was picking leaves one by one and throwing them to the ground. It happened so that under that tree, whose leaves were holy, was a Shiva Lingam, so it turned out that the hunter was doing Pooja to Lord Shiva the entire night. Shiva was very pleased by the hunter and saved him despite the hunter’s past of killing so many birds. This story, as all others, has many different versions, but the point is the same – no matter what the sins and the way of life, the one who observes fasts, prayers and pooja in the night of Shivaratri is granted great mercy from Lord Shiva. In memory of this story, the ceremony of Maha Shivaratri includes the offering of bael leaves as well

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