One story is that once there was fight between Lord Vishnu and Lord Bramha on the issue that who is great in both of them? When they are quarrelling a big Lingam appears in between and tells them that any one of them who will find the either end of the lingam will be considered as great. Lord Bramha goes to upside on his swan and Lord Vishnu goes to down by digging in varaharupam. Both of them fail to find the ends. Lord Vishnu Agrees that he failed in finding the end but Lord Bramha lies that he found the upper end and he takes the support os screw pine and cow. Lord Shiva comes from the Lingam and tells that Lord Vishnu is honest and great in both and punishes Lord Bramha by removing one of his head, tells to screw pine that it will not be useful for worshiping god and to the cow he tells that the face of it is not worshiped from now onwards . That appearance of lingam was called “Lingodbhavam” and it was occurred in the midnight (if the night is devided into four parts after end of the second part is the time for lingodbhavam) from that time it was considered as Shivarathri.
Another story is that Mahashivarathri is celebrated in the occasion of marriage of Lord Shiva And Goddess Parvathi.Goddess Parvathi (who was Sathidevi in previous birth) daughter of Himavanthudu Worships Lord Shiva. And he becomes happy for her determination and love towards him and marries her and that day is being celebrated as Mahashivarathri.
And it was also told that once Goddess Parvathi worshiped Lord Shiva and on behalf of mankind she asked for the “mukthimargam”. Then Lord Shiva tells her that if people go on fasting (upavasa) and remain awake in the night( jagarana) on Mahashivarathri they will be freed from the bondage and cycles of birth and death and will reach the God(mukthi). One more and most famous story is that mahashivarathri is celebrated because, once there was quarrel between gods and demons for the authority on heaven. Then in the quarrel many of them dies on both sides and finally they decide to search for “amrutham” after drinking which the person will not die. And they start 'palasagara madhanam' for the “amrutham” and during that time the poison(halahalam) arises and nobody can save the world from it, at that time Lord Shiva takes that poison and keeps it in his throat because this he is called “Garalakantudu”. And because of the effect of that poison he becomes unconscious throughout the night. Goddess Parvathi and other people were awake through out the night and served him. On remembrance of this people also maintain upavasa and jagarana and celebrate Shivarathri.
It is also told that to destroy the universe Lord Shiva performed Tandava and that day is being celebrated as Shivarathri.
Normally all festivals will be celebrated on daytime but Mahashivarathri is celebrated on nighttime because according to Bhagavad-Gita the day for the normal people is night to “jnani’(who knows everything) and night for the people is day to him.
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