Janmashtami
Janmashtami is normally celebrated by Vaishnavs, worshippers of Lord Vishnu, because it celebrates the birthday of Lord Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu.
Krishna is an important figure in Hinduism and is the most popular form of Vishnu that most Hindus prefer to worship.
The birth of Krishna is an interesting story, which is recited on Janmashtami before doing the puja. It is normally recited all night as well!
There was once a King called Kamsa. However, Kamsa was not a good, kind king. He had usurped his uncle to get to the throne and put his uncle in the dungeon prison of his palace. His cousin, Devaki, had just married a prince, Vasudev. As Kamsa was helping them into their chariot o go to their own home after the wedding, a heavenly voice rang out,
“Oh, Kamsa! Your bad deeds will come to an end! Your cousin sister’s eighth son will be the one to end your life and bad deeds for once and for all!”
Kamsa was so frightened that he tried to kill Devaki there and then to prevent her from even having one child. Vasudev stopped him by promising to give him his eighth child, but to spare his new wife. Kamsa imprisoned the newly weds at once in the dungeons. Every time Devaki gave birth to a child, he came personally to kill the baby. Vasudev and Devaki were distraught but knew that their eighth child would be the end of their troubles so they kept up their hope.
When Krishna, the eighth child was born, it was a rainy, stormy night. Vasudev’s friends, Nanda and Yashoda, incidentally, had also had a baby at the same time.
The celestial voice rang out again, telling Vasudev to take his son to the village where Nanda lived and swap the baby. The guards were asleep and the chains fell off Vasudev and the gates suddenly swung open.
Vasudev had taken Krishna in a basket in the rain and while he was crossing the river Yamuna, it kept on rising. Krishna, who realised what was happening, stuck his foot out of the basket and allowed the river to touch him. When Yamuna had touched his foot, she was satisfied so she parted her waters and allowed Vasudev to part. Vasudev swapped his son for Yashoda’s daughter.
When they got back, the baby girl began to cry and Kamsa was called into the prison. He lifted her up to dash her on the floor, but just as he did, the heavenly voice rang out once more. The voice told him that Krishna was safely in another home and he would follow through with his prophesied deed.
Kamsa got so frightened, that he sent his men all over the country, searching for Krishna. When Krishna finally killed Kamsa is an entirely different story for another time...
Janmashtami celebrates the amazing way in which Krishna survived the wrath of his evil uncle. Janmashtami falls in the month of Shravan, which is around July/August time. Incidentally, this year, Janmashtami falls on my birthday, 15th August! (This is a big deal for me)
Sources:
http://www.krishnajanmashtami.com/when-janmashtami.htmlMy memory (Grandma’s stories)
Subject: Janmashtami 
