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Five Ways Your Holidays Might Be Similar to the Crew on the Space Station

The holiday season is here! You might think that your celebrations are WAY different than what is done on the International Space Station, but you might be surprised…Here are a few ways your holidays might be similar to the crew on the space station:

1. You’re Instagramming All Your Decorations

Yep! Just like on Earth, the space station crew has the capability to use social media while on orbit. If you don’t follow them, you should check it out and get an out of this world perspective of what life is like on the International Space Station. (Expedition 34 crew members assemble in the Unity node of the space station for a brief celebration of the Christmas holiday on Dec. 24, 2012.)

2. You Have to Make Sure to Call Your Relatives

You don’t want to forget to wish Aunt Sue “Happy Holidays”, she might not send you a gift next year! The crew on the space station have the ability to talk to their loved ones every day. (Cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, and astronauts Michael E. Lopez-Alegria and Sunita L. Williams conduct a teleconference on Dec. 25, 2006.)

3. The Family Photos Never Seem to End

The crew on the station might not be related by blood, or even country of birth, but they share living space, meals and time together just like a family on Earth. And when it comes to the holidays, you bet they’ll be snapping pictures to capture the moments. (The six Expedition 30 crew members assemble in the U.S. Lab aboard the space station for a brief celebration of the Christmas holiday on Dec. 25, 2011.)

4. Meal Prep is a Task Shared by All

When you’re making food for multiple people, everyone needs to pitch in and help…the crew on the space station included! (Astronauts Michael Fincke, Sandra Magnus and cosmonaut Yury Lonchakov, pose for a photo as they prepare to share a Christmas meal on the space station on Dec. 25, 2008.)

5. Eating Cookies is a Must

What would the holidays be like without eating cookies? They even have the chance to eat them in space…pretty cool! (Astronauts Michael Fincke and Sandra Magnus hold Christmas cookies while posing for a photo near the galley on the space station on Dec. 25, 2008.)

For more pictures from the holidays on the International Space Station, check out our Flickr album: HERE. 

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

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Lunar New Year celebrated around the world

Millions around the world headed home to celebrate the year of the goat (or sheep or ram depending on how you translate it) with their families, as lunar New Year starts Feb. 19, 2015.

Trains in China were jammed as people returned to their family homes. Apartments were cleaned to sweep away ill fortune. Traditional red envelopes, called hongbao or ang pow are offered for good luck and prosperity in the New Year.

Factories in parts of Asia shut down but the holiday is celebrated globally. In Sydney, Australia processions, lion dances, and dragon races welcomed the New Year. New York welcomed the holiday with a fireworks display on Tuesday over the Hudson River. (Yahoo News)

(Photos by Chaiwat Subprasom/REUTERS, Edgar Su/REUTERS, Kim Kyung-Hoon/REUTERS, Edgar Su/REUTERS, Erik De Castro/Reuters)

See more images from Lunar New Year and our other slideshows on Yahoo News!