Vishu a festival celebrated in the Kerala (a state of India). In Kerala people considers vishu as astrological New Year and starts new things on vishu day. Along with the Vishu celebrations, there will be Vishu Kani. Vishu is celebrated on Medam first (malayalam calendar) which is on april 14th or 15th.
Traditions: As per Hindu astrology Vishu is the day when sun enters into medam rasi and consider it as a solar new year. If you see Malayalam calendar the New Year starts from chingam (Middle of August), however people never gives any important to that day. It is considered just a new month day.
Vishu is the solar New Year and lot of vishu prediction for next year will be available. All leading newspapers will publish vishu prediction for each birthdates/star on newspapers.
Celebrations:Most of India firecrackers will be used for Diwali. However, in Kerala, main use of firecrackers will be for vishu and we can find lot of vishu firecracker stalls along side of road.
Vishu Kani: Vishu kani is the most important thing of Vishu. Kani means the first sight. Therefore, people consider the first thing you see on a day will decide your day. The same way the first thing you see on New Year will decide the luck for your coming new year. So on the day before vishu people make special things to see on the morning of vishu. This is known as Vishu kani. It consists of Gods Picture, Gold, money, flowers, fruits, rice, new cloth, and Hindu lamp etc.
The god picture will be mainly of lord Krishna as people of Kerala are believers of Lord Krishna. Therefore, the vishu kani will consist lord Krishna’s Statue and one flower called konna poove. As per legend, the konna poov (Indian Laburnum) is evolved from Krishna’s bracelet.
The vishu kani will be made ready by the most responsible woman in the house at night and will be kept ready. Next day morning she will get up first in the morning and will go directly to the vishu kani room. She will ignite the lamp and see the picture of Lord Krishna and the auspicious things, which she has kept ready in the proceeding night.
Next, she will go to the seiner member of the house and will awake him by closing his eyes with her hands. Then she will guide him to the room where vishu kani is prepared. Then only she will remove her hand from his eyes. This will make him to see the auspicious things as the first thing on the morning.
This will be repeated with every members of the house including kids. All the kids will be getting vishu kaineettam (one dollar or some money) after the vishu kani.
Vishu greetings: Along with vishu, people will send vishu greetings to their friends and relatives. Now a day’s famous online greeting cards websites also have lot of vishu greetings in their collection. You can find some good vishu greetings at 365greetings.com
