Vishu and Vishu Kani

Vishu onnamthi ethramthiya?
Mostly every year Vishu comes on the 13th Apr night and we see the 'Kani' on the 14th morning. But sometimes we ask Vishu onnamthi ethramthiya?
Why this doubt? This is because during some years like the current year – 2011, Vishu comes on the 2nd day of the Snkrmam. Actually there is no anomaly. Only there is some confusion in us.

What is Vishu? Vishu is the transition time or Samkaramanam of the day from the Meena masam to Meda (Mesha) masam. That is, the time when Sun (Surya) Transits from Meena Rasai to Mesha Rasi is known as Vishu. Those who follow Solar year system will have the New Year day on the samkramanam day of Mesha. After the samkramanam the 1st day of the year starts. For people of Kerala, Tamilnad. Assam and Punjab Mesha 1 is the New Year day.

We observe the practice of seeing of good things (Kani) on the 1st morning after the Mesha samkramanam. This is with the belief that if see good things on the 1st, the result may last for the full year (onnamthi phalam odaneelam).

Normally Mesha Samkramam happens on the 13th April night. So we arrange to see the good things on the 14th Apr morning, which happens to be the 1st morning after the Mesha samkramanam. This year the samkramanam took place on 14-4-11 afternoon. So the first morning happens to be on the 2nd day after Samkramam. Hence this year we are supposed to keep the 'Kani' on 14th night before going to sleep and see the same on waking up in the morning of the 15th.

The confusion is because we consider Vishu and Kani to be together or as one. It is not so. Vishu is the Mesha samkramanam and kani is the good things we want to see first on the 1st morning after samkramanam. This year Vishu is on 14th and Kani is on 15th.