July 4 is synonymous with loud, bright firework displays.
But a few bangs and it's over -- what if you missed them?
Fear not -- there are other great ways to suffer tinnitus for 20 minutes.
These popular fireworks displays are taking place in the next few months.
1. Montreal International Fireworks Festival
"Pyromusical synchronization" ... sadly, we can't provide an audio accompaniment.
Each year, eight top-tier firework companies from around the world are invited to present a 30-minute show at Quebec's La Ronde amusement park.
The festival’s website gets all hifalutin about the displays.
“Pyromusical synchronization is an art form that can only be mastered through experience,” it says.
To put it another way, it's a visual blast accompanied by musical storytelling.
This year’s event will last for six weeks (it started with an Australian demonstration on June 22) and include displays by teams from Croatia, Hong Kong and United States, among others.
When: June 22–August 3, 2013
Where: Quebec's La Ronde amusement park, Montreal
2. Pohang International Fireworks Festival, South Korea
Now you know why Pohang is called the City of Light and Fire.
Pohang is the first place on the Korean Peninsula to see the sunrise.
Known as the "City of Light and Fire," it has a long tradition of shooting bright colors into the sky.
Each summer, people flock to Bukbu Beach and Hyeongsan River Sports Park for the Pohang International Fireworks Festival, which includes a fireworks competition, fringe fireworks festival and more.
The annual event is also a beach festival with events including the Pohang Bada International Theater Festival, Sand Sculpture Exhibition and National Badminton Contest.
Traditional Korean dance and music are performed throughout the festival.
When: July 26-August 4, 2013
Where: 95, Haean-ro, Buk-gu, Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
3. Katakai Fireworks Festival, Niigata, Japan
Yonshakudama, the world's biggest firework, shoots a kilometer into the sky and blooms 800 meters wide.
Summer is fireworks season in Japan. Hanabi ("flowers of fire") displays are held across the country in July, August and September, when people wear national dress and enjoy traditional food and games.
Japan is home to the world’s largest firework, the Yonshakudama. The 450-kilo (992-pound) shell shoots almost a kilometer up, before exploding into a bloom 800 meters across.
To celebrate the arrival of autumn, two Yonshakudamas are launched at the Katakai-Matsuri Festival in the town of Katakai each September.
During the festival, “the night sky is painted with giant wheels,” according to the Niigata Prefecture Tourism Guide website.
When: September 9-10, 2013
Where: Asahara Shrine, Katakai-machi, Ojiya City, Niigata, Japan
4. New Year’s Eve, Sydney
A billion people are said to tune in to the Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks display.
Sydney calls itself the New Year’s Eve Capital of the World for a reason.
Each year, more than 1.6 million spectators assemble around Sydney Harbour to watch a massive fireworks display.
More than a billion people worldwide watch the event live on TV, organizers say.
As the clock turned on January 1, 2013, seven tons of fireworks shot up from Sydney Harbour Bridge, barges in the harbor and seven city skyscrapers, the display lasting 12 minutes.
A "creative ambassador" helps organize the event each year. Kylie Minogue took part last year; her successor will be the artist and musician Reg Mombassa.
When: January 1
Where: Sydney Harbour
5. New Year’s Eve, Dubai, UAE
The world's tallest building is among the world's brightest on New Year's Eve.
Last year's New Year’s Eve fireworks display in Dubai involved pyrotechnics bursting off the sides of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
Synchronized with a live performance by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, hundreds of fireworks ignited around the 830-meter (2,723 feet) structure.
When: January 1
Where: Burj Khalifa, Dubai