Happy New Year"s Day! Humans have celebrated the new year since at least 2000 BCE, but various cultures have chosen different days coinciding with equinoxes or lunar cycles. The Romans established January 1 as the beginning of the year in 153 BCE, but this fell out of favour throughout Europe during the medieval era. Since 1582 and the widespread adoption of the Gregorian calendar, however, much of the world now celebrates the new year today. In addition to watching fireworks, drinking champagne and making resolutions in the wee hours of the morning, other global traditions include making noise, eating lucky foods and giving gifts.
Happy New Year!
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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European beech forest, Belgium
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Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
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Happy Pi Day!
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A bridge that holds up history
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Champaka Sarasi, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
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Male hooded merganser, Oregon, United States
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Tis the season for travel
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Spotted eagle rays
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City of ice
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Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
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Bathing boxes at Brighton Beach, Australia
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Happy Diwali!
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World Dolphin Day
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Angkor, Cambodia
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Coral Reef Awareness Week
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South Stack Lighthouse, Holyhead, Wales
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World Lake Day
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Winnie the Pooh Day
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The play’s the thing
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Poinsettia or Christmas flower
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A one-of-a-kind splash
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A day for cousins of every stripe
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The road less taken?
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International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
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Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England
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Tulips, Netherlands
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Happy Valentines Day!
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Check out these ‘sea cows’
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Connecting the dots
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Short-eared owl
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

