Lighting the way to new beginnings Feb 26, 2021

Lighting the way to new beginnings

The Lantern Festival marks the final day of Lunar (aka Chinese) New Year celebrations, which began this year on February 12 when we ushered in the Year of the Ox. Traditionally, the day of the festival is filled with dancing, firecrackers, children"s games, and food—including tangyuan, balls of rice flour that are generally loaded with sweet fillings. After sundown, celebrants gather to light or observe lanterns like the ones we see here in Chengdu, China. The lanterns are made in all sizes, shapes, and colors, and sometimes illustrate historical or mythological scenes. This year, most public celebrations will be canceled or reimagined online due to COVID-19 concerns, but the spirit remains the same. Many think of lanterns as symbolic of a new start and a way to illuminate the future as a new year begins.

© Philippe LEJEANVRE/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Feb 26, 2018A leafy seadragon in the waters off Wool Bay, Australia
Feb 26, 2019Snow on the temple
Feb 26, 2020 The Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic
Feb 26, 2022Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Feb 26, 2023Tambopata National Reserve, Peru
Feb 26, 2024Grand Canyon National Park turns 105
Feb 26, 2025Castle Stalker, Argyll, Scotland
Feb 26, 2026Grand Canyon National Park anniversary

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 29, 2024International Tiger Day
Mar 11, 2023Marshland, Gloucester, MA
Jul 2, 2021A meerkat stands alone
Oct 14, 2023Ring of fire solar eclipse
Mar 25, 2024Happy Holi!
Feb 12, 2021The cycle begins anew
Jul 21, 2020Belgium celebrates its independence
May 12, 2025An iris garden in Tokyo, Japan
Sep 8, 2021Enter the magical world of Livraria Lello
Dec 5, 2020A cozy winter village
Jan 1, 2024Happy New Year!
Feb 17, 2023Great Backyard Bird Count
Jun 30, 2020We re gonna need a bigger birdhouse
May 28, 2024The Monastery of Roussanou, Greece
Jan 25, 2020Happy New Year! (Again!)
Feb 16, 2018Dragon dance performed in Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China
Feb 4, 2019Sitting down and taking a stand
Oct 22, 2022Guilin and Lijiang River National Park, China
Jun 28, 2021A medieval celebration in the Mediterranean
Mar 26, 2019The forecast calls for blooms
May 30, 2018‘The memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever’
Mar 30, 2025Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
Sep 5, 2019A lush, green escape
Oct 18, 2024Autumn in Central Park, New York
Nov 28, 2022Red Planet Day
Oct 3, 2021Birthplace of Roman emperors
Jan 10, 2024Take the Stairs Day
Aug 1, 2018Don’t look down
Oct 4, 2023World Space Week
Aug 10, 2025World Lion Day