Chinese New Year Feb 17, 2026

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, marks the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. This calendar follows the phases of the moon and the rhythms of the seasons. Red lanterns—like the ones shown in today"s image—are widely associated with the celebration. The holiday falls on the new moon between January 21 and February 20 and has been observed for more than 2,000 years. In 2024, UNESCO added the Spring Festival to its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, recognising its cultural and historical importance.

© Gins Wang/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Let the Great Backyard Bird Count begin!
Feb 17, 2024Kailasa temple in Ellora caves
Feb 17, 2025Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, Uttar Pradesh

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 28, 2024Channel Country, Australia
Remembering the Mahatma
Jan 16, 2025Pinnacles National Park, California, United States
Apr 8, 2024Burrowing owl chicks
Aug 15, 2024Independence Day
Jan 31, 2026International Zebra Day
Where is this historical bridge?
Oct 8, 2023World Octopus Day
Ride the wave
Jan 13, 2025Happy Welsh New Year!
Sept 27, 2026Decorator crab on a sea pen, Komodo National Park, Indonesia
Jul 19, 2026Barn swallows of different subspecies resting together
Oct 13, 2023Vieste, Apulia, Italy
A pink moon over Arizona
May 15, 2026Endangered Species Day
Jan 15, 2024Makar Sankranti
Oct 26, 2025Thick-billed raven, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia
Sunlight turning silver to gold
Jun 20, 2026Arched iceberg, western Antarctic Peninsula, Southern Ocean
A grand view
Feb 21, 2026Red fox, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States
A curious little otter pup
Apr 12, 2026International Day of Human Space Flight
Aug 13, 2026Perseid meteor shower over Tenerife, Spain
A beach of many colours
Dec 21, 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia
Jul 9, 2026Rice fields at Sapa, Lào Cai, Vietnam
Oct 16, 2023Golden larches and Prusik Peak, Enchantments, Washington
Jul 28, 2024Colourful bathing huts on the beach in Skåne County, Sweden
Get in tune with International Jazz Day