Commonwealth Covenant Day

📣 Traveler notes

The U.S. is geographically diverse, featuring urban centers (e.g., Manhattan, Chicago), natural areas (e.g., Yellowstone, Alaska), and extensive coastlines (e.g., Florida, Hawaii).

• Non-retail businesses, post offices, and banks often close on federal holidays, though some private businesses may remain open.
• If a federal holiday falls on a weekend, observance shifts to the nearest weekday.
• The time between Thanksgiving and New Year's is typically a period of high travel and shopping traffic.
• New Year's Day (January 1) is a major federal holiday.
• Formal dining requires reservations; general table manners are often European-influenced. In private homes, consider bringing a small gift. American meals often permit hand-eating and taking leftovers; cloth napkins are used over the lap in formal settings.