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Ceremony Hall at Sweden s Icehotel
Ceremony Hall at Sweden s Icehotel
Rebuilt every winter since 1989 in the northernmost county of Sweden, the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi is not only one of a kind each year, but the first of its kind established. Other ice hotels can now be found in Norway, Finland, Canada, Romania, and elsewhere, but this one is still the largest: The ice blocks harvested from the nearby Torne River to build the Icehotel weigh 2 tons each.Desktop Version
Extraterrestrial Culture Day
Extraterrestrial Culture Day
Evidence of ancient aliens? Nah, more likely the etchings of a prankster hiker. Though Pueblo peoples here in northern New Mexico made pictographs in this style several centuries ago, there"s no evidence they were depicting extraterrestrials. But don"t get us wrong: We want to believe.Desktop Version
Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, Canada
Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, Canada
Today we"re at the iconic Rideau Canal Skateway in Canada"s capital city of Ottawa. Each winter a 4.8-mile section of the canal downtown is converted into the world"s largest—and second-longest—outdoor skating rink. Rideau was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, and most years this rink section becomes a featured attraction of Winterlude, a free annual festival that usually attracts visitors from across the country for the first three weekends of February.Desktop Version
Oymyakon, Russia
Oymyakon, Russia
Oymyakon, Russia, is one of a few places claiming to be the coldest spot in the Northern Hemisphere, a northern "Pole of Cold." Centuries of evolving meteorological technology means some historic cold temperatures are considered more accurate than others. The record for ultimate cold is a hot debate.Desktop Version
Monarch butterflies in Angangueo, Mexico
Monarch butterflies in Angangueo, Mexico
Every year, one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in Mexico takes place in the forested mountains west of Mexico City. During the fall, colonies of monarch butterflies migrate here from colder northern climates to find warmth and begin their breeding season. These huge flying colonies can contain as many as 20 million monarchs, which make use of air currents to travel as far as 100 nautical miles per day. The monarchs remain in Mexico from around November to March.Desktop Version
Winter Olympics in Beijing
Winter Olympics in Beijing
Winter is coming to Beijing. The Winter Olympics that is, as the Chinese capital hosts the 24th edition of the sporting extravaganza. Over the next 17 days, close to 3,000 athletes will compete in 109 events across 15 disciplines in seven sports. The venues are spread over three zones: central Beijing, the Yanqing District of northwestern Beijing, and Zhangjiakou, a city in neighboring Hebei province. Artificial snow will be used for outdoor competitions, including here at the illuminated Big Air Shougang, the only snow event venue in downtown Beijing.Desktop Version
Corjuem Fort in Goa, India
Corjuem Fort in Goa, India
Corjuem Fort, built in 1705 by Portuguese colonists, was abandoned in 1894 but never demolished. It is now a protected historical site in Goa, India, and during the right time of year, Corjuem can look like it"s being eaten by the forest.Desktop Version
Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day
If you"re reading this for the first time, Happy Groundhog Day! And if you"re reading this for the hundredth or thousandth time, we wish you luck in breaking out of your infinite time loop. Then you can join the rest of us as we either brace for six more weeks of winter or sigh with relief that fair weather"s on the way—depending, of course, on the shadow of a certain burrowing rodent.Desktop Version
Black History Month
Black History Month
To mark the beginning of Black History Month, we"re paying tribute to one of the few all-Black combat regiments in World War I, true heroes who were instrumental in achieving the Allied victory. The storied 369th Infantry Regiment, famously known as the Harlem Hellfighters, served in frontline trenches for 191 days—longer than any other American unit in the war—and suffered 1,500 casualties, the most losses of any American regiment. They fought under the 16th Division of the French army, because many white Americans refused to go into combat alongside Black soldiers.Desktop Version
Incense making, Vietnam
Incense making, Vietnam
Tomorrow marks the start of the Lunar New Year, known as Tết here in Vietnam. With celebrations fast approaching, these craftspeople in the "incense village" of Quang Phu Cau have been busy. Incense is used both in places of worship and on altars in family homes during Tết. The bright orange, pink, and crimson incense sticks are made from bamboo shavings hand-dipped in spiced and dyed paste. They"re then dried before bundling for sale all over the country.Desktop Version
Halo around the sun
Halo around the sun
What do you call a rainbow formed by ice? An icebow, of course. Others call the phenomenon a halo, and we"ll admit it does have a mystical aura. Halos can occur when ice crystals suspended in the air refract light into a colorful ring around the bright sun. That"s what"s happening in the cold atmosphere here in the Ore Mountains along the Czech-German border. It"s a perfect complement to the snow angels you"re yearning to make in this pristine blanket of white.Desktop Version
Brain coral
Brain coral
By using a long exposure and rotating the camera, a photographer highlights the spherical shape and grooved surface of a brain coral. You needn"t be a genius to guess how brain coral got its name. But you could just as easily call it "maze coral" after its labyrinthine surface. Either way, this sea organism is an apt mascot for today"s cerebral celebration: Puzzle Day!Desktop Version
Short-eared owl
Short-eared owl
Silently swooping over the open English countryside in search of its next meal is a short-eared owl, though that"s something of a misnomer. Named for the inconspicuous tufts on top of its head that resemble ears, the owl"s true ears are on the side of its head, hidden by feathers. But those tiny false "ears," which may function as display feathers or camouflage, lend the owl a distinctive appearance, and the short-eared owl is often affectionately called "shortie." Here in England, short-eared owls are seen more frequently in winter, when their numbers are boosted by an influx of continental birds migrating from Scandinavia, Russia, and Iceland.Desktop Version
Bluespotted ribbontail ray
Bluespotted ribbontail ray
We"re not sure whether it deserves the blue ribbon for most colorful stingray or most literal name, but there"s no doubt the bluespotted ribbontail ray is a standout. Shower it in accolades from a distance, though. Those bright blue polka dots are—as is the case with many brightly colored animals—a warning to predators that the ray"s stinging tail packs a potent poison.Desktop Version
India Republic Day
India Republic Day
You might never guess that this ornate, skylit building, with an exterior covered in intricate carvings and artwork, was once a military base. Perched high on a hill above the city of Jodhpur, the colossal Mehrangarh Fort—aka the Citadel of the Sun—was built nearly five centuries before its home country became a democratic republic.Desktop Version
Saint Dwynwen s Day
Saint Dwynwen s Day
Love is in the air on Llanddwyn Island at the southern tip of Anglesey, a much bigger island just off the northwest coast of Wales. Each year on January 25, Cupid aims his arrow toward the people of Wales who celebrate St. Dwynwen"s Day—the Welsh version of St. Valentine"s Day. St. Dwynwen is Wales" patron saint of lovers, although she was rather unlucky in that department after falling head over heels for a man she wasn"t allowed to marry. The 5th-century princess"s heartache led her to dedicate her life to God and pray for true lovers to have better fortune than her own. In return, Dwynwen became a nun and set up a convent here on Llanddwyn.Desktop Version
Manhattan
Manhattan
Ahhh, New York City. Well, Manhattan specifically, one of New York"s five boroughs. This aerial view is of lower Manhattan, what New Yorkers consider the heart of the city. That"s New Jersey sparkling across the Hudson River in the distance. And that"s the Brooklyn Bridge pictured at the bottom, linking the island of Manhattan to the borough of Brooklyn.Desktop Version
Wedded Rocks, Japan
Wedded Rocks, Japan
Just off the shore of Futami, in the southern-central region of Japan"s main island, Honshu, two rocks represent a sacred union between a divine couple. Known collectively as Meoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks), these sea stacks represent Izanagi and Izanami, the married brother-and-sister deities who created the islands of Japan and its gods in Japanese mythology. The large rock on the left is said to be the husband, Izanagi, and at its peak is a small torii, a symbolic gateway marking the entrance to a Shinto shrine. The smaller rock represents his wife, Izanami.Desktop Version
Martinique
Martinique
Welcome to France—but don"t expect your picture taken at the Eiffel Tower today. Folks at this island destination may speak French and spend euros, but we"re more than 4,000 miles from Paris.Desktop Version
National Hug Day
National Hug Day
Even the toughest predator on the South African savannah can get snuggly, especially on Hugging Day. Founded 35 years ago, this celebration of the embrace is meant to lift spirits during the post-holiday lull, encouraging family and friends to hug each other more often, not only today but every day. So, what are you waiting for? Go hug people!Desktop Version
Penguin Awareness Day
Penguin Awareness Day
Let"s hear it for our poster penguin on Penguin Awareness Day. This cheerful specimen is an Adélie penguin, a species commonly encountered along the coasts of Antarctica this time of year. Breeding season for these birds begins by October, when they gather in colonies of thousands, coupling off and constructing nests made of stones.Desktop Version
Kluane National Park
Kluane National Park
What looks here like an ice road for 50-foot-tall truckers is really Kaskawulsh Glacier in Canada"s Kluane National Park. This corner of the Yukon is home to the largest ice field on Earth outside of the poles, with the slow, steady flow of more than 2,000 glaciers continually carving these vast canyons amid the peaks.Desktop Version
Winnie-the-Pooh Day
Winnie-the-Pooh Day
Today we"re in England"s Ashdown Forest, a tranquil patch of woods 30 miles south of London in East Sussex. We"ve wandered here because this is the enchanted forest that inspired author A.A. Milne"s depiction of Winnie-the-Pooh"s neighborhood, the Hundred Acre Wood. It"s our way of celebrating Winnie-the-Pooh Day, observed each year by the Pooh faithful on January 18, Milne"s birthday. The author, along with help from illustrator E.H. Shepard, introduced the world to Pooh and his many forest friends with the beloved "Winnie-the-Pooh" books, first published in 1926.Desktop Version
Martin Luther King Day
Martin Luther King Day
Sculptor William "Bill" Tarr created the large, untitled memorial that welcomes students to Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Campus in Manhattan. The steel block features quotations from King and famous phrases from the civil rights movement. It was designed to weather over time, changing in color and texture as it ages. The school was founded in 1975 and is now home to seven distinct high schools, each focusing on a different discipline, including law, technology, and the arts.Desktop Version
Hot and Spicy Food Day
Hot and Spicy Food Day
The super-spicy curries of Bangladeshi cuisine start out here in the chili fields, where workers harvest and sort red chili peppers by hand. Once picked, the peppers are sun-dried and used whole or ground into powder. The chilis not only add a flavorful kick to foods but help kill bacteria as well. Plus, spicy foods help diners cool down: One natural reaction to capsaicin, the active chemical in chilis, is sweating, which can help chill the skin amid tropical heat.Desktop Version