Every year, Maha Shivaratri is celebrated by those who follow Hinduism.

In every luni-solar month of the Hindu calendar, there is a Shivratri on the 13th night and 14th day, but the biggest celebration of the Hindu god Shiva comes once a year, in late winter – either in February or March – and before spring arrives.

Maha Shivaratri means ‘the great night of Shiva’, and will be celebrated this year on 24 February – but what is the festival all about and how do people mark the occasion?

What is the story behind it?

According to the most popular legend, during the great mythical churning of the ocean – known as Samudra Manthan, and conducted by gods and demons so that nectar could be obtained to make them immortal – a pot of poison emerged.

This poison was so potent that nobody was prepared to even touch it – it had the potential to burn the whole world.

The only one who could get rid of the poison was Lord Shiva, who agreed to consume it.

The poison was so deadly, that if any had entered Lord Shiva’s stomach – which represents the universe – the world would have been destroyed.

He held it in his throat, which then turned dark blue as the poison took effect, and became known as Neelkanth.

Maha Shivaratri is a day where Hindus acknowledge their thanks to Lord Shiva for protecting the world from this poison.

Indian Hindu devotees offer prayers to a Shiva Lingam, a stone sculpture representing the phallus of Hindu god Lord Shiva, to mark the Maha Shivaratri festival at the Shiva Mandir in Hyderabad on 17 February 2015 (Picture: Getty)

How do people honour the festival?

In India, major temples are attended during Maha Shivaratri, and the Mandi fayre is a particularly famous celebration, held for seven days.

There are many Shiva followers in central India, with the festival celebrated enthusiastically across the country.

In Nepal, there are various music and dance performances throughout the night, and holy rituals are performed.

Married women pray for their husbands’ well-being, and unmarried women pray they will have a husband like Shiva – who is seen as the ideal.

In Indo-Caribbean communities, Hindus spend the night in temple, offering jhalls (an offering of milk and curd, flowers, sugarcane and sweets) to Lord Shiva.

A boy dressed as Hindu God Shiva participates in a procession eve of Maha Shivaratri Festival on 26 February 2014 in Jammu, India (Picture: Getty)

What is eaten at the celebration?

It is traditional to fast during Maha Shivaratri, and many eat simple foods that are easily digested, such as milk, yogurt, fruit, almonds, peanuts, cashews and honey.

Some people go on a diet of fruits and milk, while others don’t take in anything for the entire festival.