Today is Shivarathri...men and women fast during the day and stay awake during the night - all for thanking lord Shiva for saving the world. There are numerous myths regarding the origin of Shivaratri. All these myths happened during night and hence reason enough for celebrating Shivaratri during night.
I googled and found a few 'shivarathi' myths - about Vishnu and brahma searching for the origin of Linga following a fight, the Story of Shivaratri based on 'Samudra Manthan' where Shiva drank the poison that was churned out of the ocean and had to stay awake the whole night to keep himself alive.
There is also another story of Shivratri based on a hunter who escaped wild animals by climbing a tree and kept him awake by plucking Bilva leaves. In the morning, he discovered that he had been dropping the leaves on a Shivling. And the word spread that he was saved by Lord Shiva.
Apart from these myths, it is said that the reunion of Lord Shiva and Parvati happened on the Shivratri day. Another legend states that Lord Shiva performed the Taandava on this day - the origin of indian classical dance.
Shivarathri (night of Shiva) has eventually entered the Indian vocabulary (be it hindu or christian, marathi or tamilian) as a term for sleepless night. Every night India (or where ever Indians are living) murmurs 'Looks like tonight is going to be shivarathri' - it may be a newly wed groom whispering lustly in the dark, a tired mother trying to put her child to sleep, a student on his exam night....they all experience the essence of 'shivarathri'.
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