Spring break

Spring break is a vacation period in early spring at universities and schools which started during the 1930s in the United States and is now observed in many other countries as well. Spring break is frequently associated with extensive gatherings and riotous partying in warm climate locations such as Daytona Beach, Florida and Cancun, Mexico, attended regardless of participants' educational standings.

As a holiday it is variously known as Easter vacation, Easter holiday, April break, spring vacation, mid-term break, study week, reading week, reading period, or Easter week, depending on regional conventions.

History

Spring break is an academic tradition in various mostly western countries that is scheduled for different periods depending on the state and sometimes the region.

Asia

Japan

In Japan, the spring break starts with the end of the academic year in March and ends on April 1 with the beginning of a new academic year.

Kuwait

In Kuwait, the spring break is between the two academic or school semesters, usually in December or January, but could last until early February. It is usually a 2 or 3-week break, however, there is no fixed date for it, as the date is adjusted in accordance with the Lunar or Hijri calendar, as it is the case for almost all Arab and Muslim nations.

South Korea

In South Korea, the spring break starts in mid-February (the end of the academic year) and ends on March 1 (a national holiday) with the beginning of a new academic year.^{[citation needed]}

Europe

Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, only primary and secondary school students have a spring break. The break is one week long and the date of the break differs from county to county to avoid overcrowding of the break destinations in the Czech Republic (Czechs usually travel to the mountains to ski there). The counties are divided into six groups, each group containing counties evenly distributed across the country. The first group starts the holiday on the first Monday of February, the last group starts the holiday five weeks later (usually in early March). The last group of counties becomes the first one to have the spring break the next year.

Georgia

Before 2017, the spring break in Georgia was typically an Easter holiday, lasting from Thursday to Tuesday in the Holy Week. In 2017, the new Minister of Education and Science of Georgia Aleksandre Jejelava made a new reform by which, students of preschools, elementary & high schools as well as colleges and universities get six days of holiday in March, lasting from March 8 to March 15, for people to go on winter vacations or do other activities.

Germany

In Germany, universities typically schedule a semester break of five to eight weeks around March. The Whitsun (Pentecost) holidays around late May or early June are also considered a spring break.

Greece

In Greece, spring break takes place during the Holy Week and the one after it.

Lithuania

In Lithuania, spring break (called Easter holidays or spring holidays) takes place one week before Easter and one day after it (as it is the second day of Easter), all school students have this vacation. Primary school students have another week of holidays after Easter.

Portugal

In Portugal, spring break is mostly known as "Easter Holidays" and it gives two weeks to all students around the country.

Russia

Before 1917 there was an Easter Break in schools. In the Soviet Union, spring break was always from 24 to 31 of March. Now, many schools in Russia still have the spring break, but the exact date is decided by the school itself. In the majority of cases it is set in the middle of April. Also, the public holidays in May, connected with Labour day, can be an accurate equivalent of the spring break.

Slovakia

Slovakia gives a week-long break to its elementary school and secondary school students in the months of February and March. The break is one week long and the date of the break differs from county to county to avoid overcrowding of the break destinations in the Slovak Republic. The counties are divided into three groups, the first group starts the holiday on the end of February, the last group starts the holiday two weeks later (in early March).

There is, as well, another shorter Easter break which starts on Holy Thursday and ends on next Tuesday.

Spain

In Spain, there is not a spring break. Instead, the Holy Week is celebrated and students usually have holidays during these days.

United Kingdom

The Easter break in the United Kingdom is from one to two and a half weeks (depending on the local council and school policy) for primary and high schools, and for two to four weeks for university students, and fits around Easter.

North America

Canada

Canada gives a one or two week-long break to its elementary school and secondary school students in the month of March, with the time varying from province to province; New Brunswick and Quebec, for example, place their March breaks during the first week of March; Ontario, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia schedule theirs during the second or third week; the break in Albertaand Manitoba usually occurs in the last week of March. In Canada, spring Break for post-secondary students is called 'reading week' or 'reading break,' depending on the duration. However, the formal title of Mid-term Break has been the preferred generic term. Reading Week in Canada usually occurs in the month of February, usually coinciding with Family Day.

Jamaica

In Jamaica, the spring break starts in the first week of Good Friday. The break may range from one week to two weeks, often times two. This break starts depending on which month the Easter holiday begins, March or April.

Mexico

In Mexico, spring break takes place during the Holy Week and the one after it.^{[citation needed]}

United States

In the United States, spring break at universities and colleges can occur from March to April, depending on term dates and when Easter holiday falls. Usually, spring break is about one week long, but many K–12 institutions in the United States schedule a one-week-long break known as "Easter Break," "Easter Holidays", or "Easter Vacation", as they generally take place in the weeks before or after Easter.^{[citation needed]} However, in the states of Massachusetts and Maine, schools typically schedule spring break for the week of the third Monday in April to coincide with Patriots' Day.

Central America

Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras

In Guatemala and Honduras, it takes place during Easter; schools give students a whole week to rest while the staff workforce rests approximately three days.^{[citation needed]}

South America

Colombia

In Colombia, spring break takes place the first week of April, during the Holy Week until the second week.

Chile

In Chile, many schools and universities take vacations in the middle of September coinciding with the celebration of the Fiestas Patrias (Celebration of that country).Being located in the Southern Hemisphere, spring begins approximately at the end of this holiday week so it acts similarly to the American spring break.

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