For the first day of the Chinese New Year, we’re showing the southern fortification of the Xi"an City Wall as it was decorated and lit up for last year"s lunar new year party. The south gate was rebuilt in 2014 and is often used to stage the fireworks show that rings in the Chinese New Year, which falls between late January and early February. Why a different new year celebration date? It comes down to the sun versus the moon: While the widely used Gregorian calendar is based on the Earth"s rotation around the sun, the lunar calendar is marked by the phases of the moon. So, the Gregorian new year always falls on January 1, while the lunar new year date moves around from year to year. Either way, we"re excited to have another excuse to throw a party.
Happy New Year! (Again!)
Today in History
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Bernina Pass, Graubünden, Switzerland
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World Oceans Day
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Groundhog Day
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Computer Science EDU Week
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‘Fringe’ takes center stage as Edinburgh celebrates the arts
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Reflections on Memorial Day
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Sunny day, sweepin the clouds away
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Native American Heritage Month
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They’re grrrape!
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Saskatchewan s spookier side
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Muniellos Nature Reserve
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Star Wars Day
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White dunes, blue lagoons
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National Park Week: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
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Arches National Park, Utah
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Tigh Mor Trossachs on Loch Achray, Scotland
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Festivus
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Light show in the forest
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What are these creatures?
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Traveling warblers
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75th anniversary of the Spruce Goose
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Vale of Edale, Peak District, England
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A special day for a special cat
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International Day of Color
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A grand event
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A view fit for a queen
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National Find a Rainbow Day
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The crossroads of empires
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Assembling the Smithsonian
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Bear cubs roughhouse on Siblings Day