Paper lanterns on the longest night Dec 21, 2018

Paper lanterns on the longest night

For the winter solstice today, we’re in Santa Fe, where residents celebrate the holidays with lovely paper lanterns known as farolitos, or luminarias. The annual Farolito Walk takes place each Christmas Eve in the city’s Canyon Road arts district, but the farolitos are often on display much earlier, lighting the way among the pueblo-style architecture that this region is known for. Winter solstice marks both the official start of winter, and the longest night of the year—meaning these paper lanterns will be put to good use tonight.

© Julien McRoberts/Danita Delimont

palette

Today in History

Dec 21, 2019Seventeen arches at sunset
Dec 21, 2020Shadows on the solstice
Dec 21, 2021Winter solstice
Dec 21, 2022Winter solstice
Dec 21, 2023Winter solstice
Dec 21, 2024Happy winter solstice!
Dec 21, 2025Winter solstice

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr 7, 2018The confluence of the Arve and Rhône Rivers
Oct 25, 2021Dyavolski Most
Nov 19, 2025Hungarian Parliament Building, Budapest, Hungary
Sep 15, 2019A light on National Hispanic Heritage Month
Jan 5, 2022National Bird Day
Dec 30, 2021Westerheversand Lighthouse
Nov 17, 2021Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Sep 24, 2020Till the cows come home
Oct 13, 2018‘Hello’ from zero degrees longitude
Nov 7, 2019Paris is photo-ready this week
Feb 9, 2023Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Dec 20, 2021Ministry of Fun Santa School
Sep 27, 2023Via Krupp, Capri, Italy
May 17, 2022Salt ponds of Maras, Peru
Feb 4, 2021Where is this wintry road?
Mar 18, 2018Christmas Tree Point Road and Twin Peaks, San Francisco
Jan 4, 2023Earth at Perihelion
Dec 7, 2021Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Dec 11, 2023International Mountain Day
Aug 23, 2022Menton, France
Feb 2, 2018Alpine marmots at Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria
Nov 24, 2023Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington
Jul 7, 2019Traffic jam on the caribou highway
Mar 7, 2020Summer winds down in the Southern Hemisphere
Oct 5, 2018Is that a smile?
Oct 2, 2024Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
Jan 8, 2024Bernina Pass, Graubünden, Switzerland
Jun 20, 2018Today is World Refugee Day
Jun 26, 2024Banggai cardinalfish with sea anemone
Mar 22, 2024World Water Day