Valentines Day Feb. 14, 2024

Love is in the air as Valentine"s Day arrives! This holiday is often associated with various romantic symbols, such as Cupid or Romeo and Juliet, the famous star-crossed lovers of William Shakespeare. Symbols of love can also be found in nature, such as red-crowned cranes, seen today in the reed marshes and frozen lakes of Hokkaido Island, Japan. These graceful birds engage in captivating mating dances to strengthen their lifelong bond—and symbolise good fortune, longevity and fidelity in Japanese culture. These gentle creatures even inspired a traditional paper craft, the origami crane; according to legend, folding a thousand cranes can grant wishes.

© Steve Bloom Images/Alamy

palette

Today in History

Love is in the snow
Feb. 14, 2025Happy Valentines Day!

More Desktop Wallpapers:

What are these unique creatures?
Jan. 7, 2025Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand
An oasis in a sea of sand
Alps of the sea
Sep. 6, 2023Rethymno, Crete, Greece
Apr. 3, 2024Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
The sea pool of Penzance
The ancient home of the Minoans
May 4, 2024Star Wars Day
Aug. 5, 2025Tide pools in La Jolla, California, United States
Feb. 25, 2024Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island
Apr. 26, 2025Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario
How can we help at-risk animals?
Nov. 30, 2025Christmas market in Leipzig, Germany
May 9, 2025Canadian Tulip Festival
Jul. 11, 2024World Population Day
May 6, 2025An ultralight aircraft flying over the sands of Namibia
Mar. 10, 2025National Napping Day
Oct. 27, 2023Sligachan Old Bridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Aug. 27, 2023Jeju Island, South Korea
Sep. 13, 2025Point Reyes National Seashore, California, United States
Nov. 20, 2023World Childrens Day
Nature’s own canvas
Dec. 13, 2024Christmas market, St. Stephens Basilica, Budapest, Hungary
Dare to delve into this dense swamp
Nov. 16, 2024Wadden Sea coast, Friesland, Netherlands
King of the ocean
Jan. 11, 2024Eurasian lynx
Feb. 23, 2024Haghartsin Monastery, Armenia
The Rainbow Bridge