USA
Travel Guide

Major U.S. holidays don't come bigger than July 4th. Fireworks, cookouts, family get-togethers and the raising of the star-spangled banner are the order of the day on the most important public holiday of the year.

The most flamboyant of American festivals officially takes place on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, but expect to see the streets of New Orelans strung with colored beads and bunting as early as February. This is a party town, after all.

While Christmas is the time for giving, Thanksgiving is the time for breaking bread with your neighbors, family and friends. Dining rooms are transformed into banquet halls, and minds turn to the everyday gifts worth being grateful for.

It's not just one of biggest sporting events in the global calendar – it's also part-music festival, part-product showcase for the world's biggest brands and part-celeb spotting bonanza. The Super Bowl is a cultural phenomenon.

If you're a fan of all things spooky, Halloween is one of the best festivals in the U.S. On October 31, don't be alarmed to find skeletons, monsters, witches and black cats roaming suburban streets. The question is: trick, or treat?