Christmas star lanterns, Germany Dec 20, 2025

Christmas star lanterns, Germany

As Christmas draws near, star lanterns begin to appear everywhere—twinkling from balconies, shining in shop windows, and lighting up market stalls. Their shimmer cuts through the long winter nights, filling streets and homes with joy, color, and a sense of togetherness. But behind these festive decorations lies a story as captivating as their glow.

© artas/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Dec 20, 2018Seasonal lights dazzle in Japan
Dec 20, 2019Tree of many colors
Dec 20, 2020Dressed for winter fun
Dec 20, 2021Ministry of Fun Santa School
Dec 20, 2022Christmas market at Belvedere Palace in Vienna
Dec 20, 2023Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
Dec 20, 2024Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 18, 2020A stroll above the stratosphere
Sep 5, 2019A lush, green escape
Aug 25, 2024National Park Service Founders Day
Sep 17, 2018Gateway to America
Oct 11, 2019Art in the high desert
Jun 14, 2022Museum Mile Festival
Dec 27, 2019 Winterpret on ice
Nov 19, 2023Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, Estonia
Apr 30, 2022International Jazz Day
Aug 7, 2022National Lighthouse Day
Apr 16, 2018The Bazaruto Archipelago of Mozambique
Mar 15, 2024Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
Jun 26, 2022Pride 2022
Apr 26, 2019Happy Arbor Day!
Mar 3, 2020All eyes on sustainability
Jan 4, 2023Earth at Perihelion
May 31, 2019Mysterious prairie mounds abound
Feb 5, 2019Welcome to the Year of the Pig
Mar 28, 2026African buffalo, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Aug 5, 2023Atlantic puffin, Iceland
Apr 16, 2019The birth of Bauhaus
Feb 22, 2025Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri
Jan 4, 2020Celebrating whales—and a whale of a tale
Sep 17, 2021Eye of the cave
May 14, 2024Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico
Feb 8, 2021A hero for the 21st century
Sep 5, 2018Salmon migration in full swing
Dec 25, 2019Merry and bright
Jul 10, 2021Celestial Spain
May 24, 2023Old Fortress, Corfu, Greece