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
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
A crane for good luck in today’s big game
-
Nazar amulets, Goreme National Park, Cappadocia, Turkey
-
It’s surströmming time
-
Northern hawk-owl
-
Happy trees = Clean air
-
When an ideal microclimate gives you lemons…
-
The Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland
-
Nature Photography Day
-
A whale of a picture
-
Flag Day
-
Happy Holi!
-
Ministry of Fun Santa School
-
The glowing waters of the Matsu Islands
-
Sleep tight, little hedgehog
-
Lizard of mystery
-
Gentoo penguins in Antarctica
-
A gentle wind fills this sail
-
Entoloma hochstetteri mushroom at Lake Mahinapua, New Zealand
-
Children at play for International Day of Friendship
-
Happy New Years Eve!
-
Diving into the underwater nirvana
-
A shell of many colors
-
International Archaeology Day
-
High above the reef
-
My my, it s Syttende Mai
-
A field of English lavender
-
Kirkilai lakes, Biržai Regional Park, Lithuania
-
Celebrating Chile’s Independence Day
-
Glowworm caves in Australia
-
A good time in the Badlands