2021-02-26
Red lanterns hanging in Jinli Street, Chengdu, China (© Philippe LEJEANVRE/Getty Images)
挂在锦里街上的红灯笼，中国成都 (© Philippe LEJEANVRE/Getty Images)
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, a desert made from balls of rice flour and 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.
Red lanterns hanging in Jinli Street, Chengdu, China (© Philippe LEJEANVRE/Getty Images)
挂在锦里街上的红灯笼，中国成都 (© Philippe LEJEANVRE/Getty Images)
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, a desert made from balls of rice flour and 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.
2021-02-27
Twin polar bear cubs asleep in a snow den in Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada (© AF archive/Alamy)
鸟瞰施内贝格山脉-奥克森峰，德国 (© Felix Meyer/Adobe Stock)
We don't really need an excuse to feature this adorable photo of twin cubs asleep inside a snow den in Wapusk National Park in Manitoba, Canada. But it just so happens that today is International Polar Bear Day, the perfect day for this shot from the 2007 documentary film 'Earth,' which focuses on wild habitats and creatures across the planet.
Twin polar bear cubs asleep in a snow den in Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada (© AF archive/Alamy)
鸟瞰施内贝格山脉-奥克森峰，德国 (© Felix Meyer/Adobe Stock)
We don't really need an excuse to feature this adorable photo of twin cubs asleep inside a snow den in Wapusk National Park in Manitoba, Canada. But it just so happens that today is International Polar Bear Day, the perfect day for this shot from the 2007 documentary film 'Earth,' which focuses on wild habitats and creatures across the planet.
2021-02-28
Traditional farmhouses at Skaftafell, Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland (© Jarcosa/Getty Images)
斯卡夫塔山中的传统农舍，冰岛瓦特纳冰川国家公园 (© Jarcosa/Getty Images)
Roofs of sod have sheltered mainland Scandinavians through countless winters and summers. But those who migrated from Norway's grass-roof log cabins to this Icelandic tundra in the 9th century found none of the rich timberland of their homeland—just wispy birch forests and grassy fields. To survive the cold, they took the old turf roof concept and built on it, encasing not only the roofs but the walls of their birch-framed homes in layers of living, insulating soil.
Traditional farmhouses at Skaftafell, Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland (© Jarcosa/Getty Images)
斯卡夫塔山中的传统农舍，冰岛瓦特纳冰川国家公园 (© Jarcosa/Getty Images)
Roofs of sod have sheltered mainland Scandinavians through countless winters and summers. But those who migrated from Norway's grass-roof log cabins to this Icelandic tundra in the 9th century found none of the rich timberland of their homeland—just wispy birch forests and grassy fields. To survive the cold, they took the old turf roof concept and built on it, encasing not only the roofs but the walls of their birch-framed homes in layers of living, insulating soil.