202512 Wallpaper Collection

In Japan's colder months, there's a morning moment when stillness breaks—not with wind or footsteps, but with a bright, rolling call that sweeps across the water. Whooper swans have touched down. One loud whoop—and winter suddenly feels awake. These birds migrate from Siberia and the Russian Far East, choosing Japan as their seasonal home because its lakes offer what long-distance travelers crave: open water, steady food, and a safe place to rest. One of their favorite destinations is Kotoku Pond in the Kantō region on Japan's largest island.

On a windswept plateau in eastern Türkiye, along the border with Armenia, the ruins of the ancient city of Ani rise from the landscape with striking clarity. A millennium ago, Ani was a thriving Armenian capital on a major Silk Road route, its fortifications and busy streets shaping trade and culture across the region. Today, the city is quiet, but its outline still carries the weight of its past.

Fifty-one years after the Endangered Species Act (ESA) became law, its purpose remains clear: to protect species facing extinction and preserve the habitats they depend on. Signed in 1973, the ESA became one of the world's strongest conservation laws, influencing policies well beyond the United States. It demonstrates that recovery is possible when science and enforcement work together. Its influence on conservation is especially clear in species whose futures hinge on international attention. The black-and-white ruffed lemur of Madagascar is one such example. Many people recognize lemurs from the animated movie 'Madagascar,' but the real animal faces a much harsher reality. This striking primate is critically endangered, surviving in increasingly fragmented forests where habitat loss remains a constant threat.

When winter tightens its grip on Lake Superior in Minnesota, the shoreline transforms into a landscape of tilted, glass-like shards known as plate ice. Thin sheets fracture under shifting temperatures, then drift and stack as the wind presses them toward land. The result is a field of translucent blues and silvers, catching the light at sharp angles and making the water's edge appear sculpted rather than frozen.

The best thing about Boxing Day is that it doesn't ask much of you. No big countdown. No dramatic unwrapping. No last-minute dashes for batteries. It's a rare holiday that says, 'Sit down, finish your leftovers, and take a moment.' Celebrated on December 26 in the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries, it's a national cool-down after Christmas has done all the heavy lifting. The term goes back to Victorian Britain, when households prepared Christmas boxes for workers and tradespeople—tokens of thanks that ranged from coins to essentials. Churches joined in by opening alms boxes and distributing donations.

Beneath Heidelberg's winter sky in Germany, stalls sparkle with snow globes, each capturing the spirit of the season in a miniature world. Today, Christmas—a Christian celebration of faith, light, and togetherness—invites us to welcome warmth and joy into the coldest days of the year. Across continents, candles glow on windowsills and garlands twine through homes and streets.

As Christmas Eve arrives, millions embrace customs that connect us to our roots—or introduce us to entirely new cultures. In snowy regions like the Bavarian Alps in Germany—a frost-kissed landscape seen in today's image—festive lights glow against winter's chill. Elsewhere, the sun blazes brightly: think of the Caribbean, Australia, or Brazil, where Christmas often means golden beaches instead of frosty mornings.

Few creatures evoke the magic of the holidays quite like the reindeer. Also known as caribou, they are the spirit animals of Christmas lovers—and they rock it. Sturdy and sure-footed, they've been pulling Santa's sleigh ever since Clement Clarke Moore cast them in the role in his 1823 poem 'A Visit from Saint Nicholas.' And they were born for it. Their hooves shrink in winter to expose a gripping rim, then expand in warmer months for better traction. Still not impressed? Consider this: reindeer don't have an internal clock. Instead, their melatonin—the hormone that regulates sleep—adjusts to light and darkness, helping them stay awake through endless nights of gift delivery.

As Christmas approaches, each sunset gives way to a glow of festive lights, bringing a touch of wonder and preparing us for the holiday season. One of the world's most beloved stage works, 'The Nutcracker,' is rooted in this very sense of magic. The story unfolds on Christmas Eve, in the midst of holiday cheer, when Clara receives a nutcracker as a gift. As night falls and the household drifts into sleep, the little girl and her nutcracker embark on a fantastical journey—battling the Mouse King and wandering through the Land of Sweets. Among its most famous moments is the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy—the ruler of the Land of Sweets—accompanied by music that has become iconic. Tchaikovsky composed these enchanting melodies for the celesta, an instrument often called the bell-piano.

Ever felt as if the night just wouldn't end? That's the winter solstice working its magic. It is the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring around December 21 or 22. In the Southern Hemisphere, the same happens around June 21 or 22. It marks the moment when one of Earth's poles tilts farthest from the sun. From that instant, daylight slowly begins to lengthen again.

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.

Bormio is a mountain town in northern Italy's Lombardy region, nestled in the Alps near the Stelvio Pass. This location has connected communities across mountain valleys for centuries, shaping how people live and move through the region. Today's image features Bormio's winter landscape, a reflection of its high-altitude setting and enduring bond with the surrounding peaks.

Rock layers formed over millions of years and a massive bend in the Earth's crust give this desert a rare window into geologic history. This is Capitol Reef National Park in Utah, where sandstone cliffs and canyons preserve a striking record of the planet's past. December 18 marks the anniversary of its designation as a national park in 1971. Today's featured image highlights the sandstone monoliths of Cathedral Valley, including the Temple of the Sun, part of this extraordinary, protected landscape.

Who could resist that squishy face? A Eurasian red squirrel perches on a snowy pine branch, paws clutching a pine cone like it's the last snack on Earth. These little acrobats stay busy collecting nuts, seeds, and fungi—feasting on fresh finds in summer and on stored cones through winter.

They've got long beards, red hats, and a knack for stealing a tad bit of Santa's thunder every Christmas. Meet the gnome—known as 'tomte' in Sweden and 'nisse' in Norway—whose traditions vary across regions. Rooted in Scandinavian folklore, these tiny guardians watch over homes and farms, keeping families safe through long, dark winters. But there's a catch: treat them kindly, or they may play tricks. A warm bowl of porridge on Christmas Eve is their favorite reward. Said to bring luck and laughter, they might even befriend your garden gnomes, since they often resemble them.

Have you ever wondered how canals changed the way cities developed? For thousands of years, people have built canals to transport goods, control water flow, and connect places. From ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt to medieval Europe, they transformed cities like Venice and Bruges into trade hubs. The Netherlands took this even further—by the 17th century, they were designing waterways that shaped cities such as Amsterdam.

Each December, thousands swap wrapping paper for binoculars and step outside for a different kind of holiday tradition: the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Instead of hunting for bargains, they hunt for birds—with pencils, rather than pellets. Started in 1900 by ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, the count offered a peaceful alternative to the Christmas 'side hunts,' where people competed to shoot the most animals. Chapman had a better idea: count them instead. Over a century later, that simple shift has grown into the world's longest-running citizen-science project.

Every masterpiece needs a brushstroke to tie it together. For Yosemite National Park, that stroke is the Merced River—painting reflections of granite cliffs, pine forests, and waterfalls across its canvas. One of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers, this waterway begins high in the Sierra Nevada. It gathers meltwater and winds 145 miles west through Yosemite Valley into California's Central Valley.

Some plants simply sit quietly on windowsills. The poinsettia? It demands the spotlight. Bright, bold, and as red as Rudolph's nose, this December diva even has its own holiday—National Poinsettia Day, celebrated on December 12. Prior to becoming a popular Christmas decoration, this shrub had quite a journey. Long before it appeared in living rooms, it grew wild in Mexico, where the Aztecs used it for dyes and medicine. Then, in the 1820s, US diplomat Joel Roberts Poinsett spotted the plant, fell for its charm, and sent it home. The rest, as they say, is history—and botany.

Every December 11, we celebrate International Mountain Day, honoring the majestic peaks that shape our planet and the glaciers that support life. From the rolling Alps to the towering Himalayas, mountains cover nearly a quarter of Earth's land and host 15% of the world's population and nearly half of its biodiversity hotspots. Mount Everest, the world's highest peak at over 29,000 feet, stands as a symbol of human aspiration and natural beauty. Its glaciers feed rivers sustaining millions, showing that mountains are more than scenery—they are lifelines.

The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba is a chronicle of Spain's layered history. It began as a church built by the Germanic Visigoths, before being transformed into a mosque in 784 CE by Abd al-Rahman I, founder of the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba. Its vast hypostyle hall, a space supported by rows of columns, features the famous red-and-white arches shown here. Today, it contains more than 850 columns, many reused from Roman and earlier Visigothic structures.

If llamas are the laid-back stars of the Andes, their cousins, the guanacos, are the free spirits of Patagonia. And what better day to give them the spotlight than National Llama Day? Guanacos are part of the same camelid family as llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas. But unlike their domesticated relatives, they keep things wild. Found mainly in Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, they're built for life at high altitude. Their thick coats help them handle chilly winds, while their padded feet give them the grip to trek across rocky terrain that would make even mountain goats nervous.

When the twinkling reflections on Italy's Lake Como outshine the stars, you know Christmas has docked in Domaso. Once a fishing village, this lakeside town now transforms each winter into a glittering display of holiday cheer, where pastel houses, old churches, and waterfront villas are wrapped in ribbons of light. The result? A picturesque Christmas scene.

At 7:55 AM on December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft appeared over Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the course of history changed. In less than two hours, 19 ships were sunk or damaged, nearly 200 aircraft destroyed, and 2,403 Americans lost their lives. The battleship USS Arizona suffered the most devastating hit: a bomb struck its forward deck, igniting ammunition below and sending the ship to the harbor floor. The surprise assault crippled the US Pacific Fleet and ended America's neutrality in World War II. The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt told Congress it was 'a date which will live in infamy,' and the US entered the war.

On Florida's southern tip lies one of the United States' most unusual landscapes. The Everglades is not a typical swamp or river. It is a slow, shallow sheet of water that drifts south across flat grasslands toward Florida Bay, linking forests, marshes, mangroves, and coastal prairies. This subtropical wilderness supports hundreds of species, including alligators, manatees, and the endangered Florida panther. On December 6, 1947, the United States established the Everglades National Park, protecting over 1.5 million acres and shifting conservation toward preserving entire ecosystems rather than isolated landmarks.

In a quiet valley of western Honduras lie the ruins of Copán—a city of the ancient Maya civilization. Its sky served as both compass and calendar, guiding celestial events and shaping temples, rituals, and the rhythm of life. Around 426 CE, K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo', a warrior from the Maya heartland, founded Copán and established its royal dynasty. The city became a center of Maya art, astronomy, and power.

High atop a termite mound in the Maasai Mara National Reserve—a protected savanna in southwestern Kenya—a cheetah scans the plains. Its sleek body can reach speeds of up to 70 mph, making it the fastest land mammal on Earth. Long legs and a flexible spine allow incredible acceleration, while its strong tail helps maintain balance during high-speed chases. Today is International Cheetah Day—an event that couldn't have arrived any quicker. With fewer than 7,100 individuals left in the wild, these are among Africa's most vulnerable big cats.

Every December, as morning unfolds, a chorus of rattling calls fills the marshes of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. This 57,000-acre sanctuary in central New Mexico prepares to stage one of nature's most stirring performances as sandhill cranes return from their seasonal journey. Soon, tens of thousands of snow geese and other migratory birds join the scene, filling the sky with movement and sound.

On December 2, 1980, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) reshaped America's conservation history. With one sweeping law, more than 104 million acres of Alaska's wild lands gained lasting protection, like the Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve, seen here, now the largest national park in the United States. ANILCA balanced preservation with tradition, safeguarding ecosystems while honoring rural subsistence rights.

Some photos capture nature's grand acts. Great photos reveal even more in a single frame: the delicate balance between immense power and fragile beauty that surrounds us on Earth. Today's image of a natural arch carved into an Antarctic iceberg does exactly that—a conversation starter about grandeur, vulnerability, our environment, and its present and future.

Do you know what people bought at Christmas markets 567 years ago? Not costly ornaments or fancy souvenirs but candles, spices, local goods, knitted items, and toys. Leipzig's Christmas market began in 1458 and quickly became a favorite stop for merchants and locals alike. Today, with its cultural and culinary offerings spread across the historic old town and about 300 stalls, it is one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany. Imagine streets buzzing with the chatter of traders and children following the scent of 'Lebkuchen'—honey-sweetened cakes. This is where townsfolk gather to celebrate winter and catch up on news while sipping mulled wine. These markets have always symbolized more than shopping—they offer an escape from the everyday routine.