Happy New Year! Jan 1, 2025

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.

© Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Napping near the North Pole
Jan 1, 2024Happy New Year!
Jan 1, 2026Happy New Year!

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jellies in a world all their own
Oct 30, 2023Common raven
Colours of spring
A bridge that holds up history
Sep 20, 2024Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, USA
Mar 23, 2024World Meteorological Day
Oct 19, 2024Temple of Hathor, Dendera Temple Complex, Qena, Egypt
Jan 29, 2024Gollinger Waterfalls, Salzburg, Austria
Nothing says ‘San Francisco’ quite like...
Aug 6, 2025Ring-tailed lemur
Mar 15, 2024Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, USA
Apr 14, 2024Bowling Ball Beach, California, USA
Secluded sands in Mexico
Ready for a thrill ride
Apr 30, 2025International Jazz Day
Can you name these pretty flowers?
A beacon in the golden light
Feb 1, 2026Colourful house in Olinda, Brazil
Jun 29, 2024Tour de France 2024
A small but mighty guardian
Sep 4, 2023Whale shark, Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
Feb 27, 2024Polar bear cubs
Sep 7, 2025Gdańsk on the banks of the Motława river, Poland
The victory of good over evil
Apr 27, 2025Coastal redwoods in Redwood National and State Parks, California, United States
What can you see from this tower?
Wind powered ice racing
Jul 20, 2024International Moon Day
Giants of the Southern Ocean
Apr 3, 2025Thiruvalluvar Statue, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu