What is Vaisakhi, or Baisakhi and how is it celebrated?

Vaisakhi is one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar. Vaisakhi is a spring festival which happens on the 13 or 14 April every year. It is a day to celebrate 1699 – the year when Sikhism was born as a collective faith.
Vaisakhi has been a harvest festival in Punjab – an area of northern India – for a long time, even before it became so important to Sikhs. In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh chose the festival as the moment to establish the Khalsa – that’s the collective name given to Sikhs who’ve been baptised. The story goes that at the festival, he came out of a tent carrying a sword and said that any Sikh prepared to give his life for his faith should come into the tent.Five men disappeared into the tent, and the Guru came out – alone – with blood on his sword. This worried the crowds. That is until the five men then came out from the tent unharmed and wearing turbans. They became known as Panj Piare or the ‘Beloved Five’ – and they were to be the first members of the Khalsa. They were baptised by the Guru who sprinkled them with Amrit, which is the Sikh word for holy water. He also said prayers. This ritual became the basis of the Sikh baptism ceremony. To celebrate Vaisakhi, Sikhs visit places of worship called Gudwaras. These are also be especially decorated for the occasion. Afterwards, they have a procession through the streets with lots of singing, chanting and colourful clothes. Many people enjoy parades and special processions through the streets called nagar kirtans. ‘Nagar’ means town and ‘kirtan’ means the singing of hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib, which is the Sikh holy book.Celebrations traditionally include singing and music, as well as reading scriptures out loud and chanting hymns. Many Sikhs also choose Vaisakhi as the day to be baptised in to the Khalsa brotherhood. Normally big celebrations take place in the city of Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, which is where Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa. Farmers in the Punjab will also use Vaisakhi as an opportunity to give thanks for a plentiful harvest and pray for a good one in the year to come. Celebrations for the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi are set to take place in Surrey on April 20 Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take part in the all-day procession, which features colourful floats, music and live performers.
Source: CBC.COM