Chinese New Year Feb 17, 2026

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 24, 2026Andermatt village in the Alps, Switzerland
May 18, 2025International Museum Day
Nov 9, 2025Interstellar clouds in the Lagoon Nebula
Sep 23, 2025Keel-billed toucan, Costa Rica
Jul 22, 2025Badlands National Park, South Dakota, United States
What are they celebrating?
The butterfly effect
A large forest with 6,000 of years of history
Dec 29, 2023Oud-West neighbourhood, Amsterdam, Netherlands
What’s blooming so brightly?
Trunks packed for road
Dec 1, 2025Antarctica Day
Saving and celebrating honey bees
Dec 6, 2024Finnish Independence Day
Oct 29, 2025Ancient til trees in Fanal Forest, Madeira, Portugal
A shiver of sharks on the hunt
Oct 14, 2023Ring of fire solar eclipse
Jul 14, 2024Shark Awareness Day
Oct 4, 2023World Space Week
Is it green with envy?
Let the Great Backyard Bird Count begin!
Birthplace of the Renaissance
Feb 3, 2026Emerald Bay and Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe, California, United States
An unbreakable bond between siblings
May 1, 2025Maharashtra Day
Stars in daylight
Nov 13, 2025Quiver trees, Keetmanshoop, Namibia
Jan 16, 2025Pinnacles National Park, California, United States
Jul 18, 2025Turquoise waters of the Bahamas
Oct 2, 2025Gandhi Jayanti