The lesser-known hazards of major holidays

Holidays, while fun, can carry their own brand of peril. We know about the dangers of driving, but what other hazards can sap the joy out of our celebrations?

New Year's Eve/Day
While some people kiss, ring bells or blow horns to usher in the new year, a few resort to a riskier way of making noise; shooting a gun into the air. According to the Mythbusters, a 9mm bullet fired into the air can climb to a height of 4,000 feet and remain in the air for 37 seconds.

The Centers for Disease Control studied the impact of celebratory gunfire in Puerto Rico in 2003-4 during the New Years holiday. In this two-day period, 19 people were injured by probable celebratory gunfire. Four were hospitalized, and one died. Head wounds were the most common form of injury.