Spring break

From Free net encyclopedia

For an article concerning the euphemism for Easter break, see Spring holiday.

Spring break, also March break in Canada, is a week-long recess from studying in early spring at universities and K-12 schools in the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, China and other countries. Image:Spring break.jpg

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Background

In the U.S., spring break ranges from the end of February to mid-April, but most schools are out the first two weeks of March. In Canadian universities, it is known as Reading week and is in late February or early March.

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.

Spring break is also celebrated by K-12 institutions, and is also known as March break. March break is invariably one or both of the middle two weeks of March. Some K-12 institutions coincide their spring break with Easter.

From the end of World War II until the 1980s, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was a notorious spring break destination in the United States. On March 19, 2006, the New York Times reported that Fort Lauderdale's reputation as a Spring break destination for college students started when the Colgate University men's swimming team came to practice there over break in 1935. Spring break's notorieties include increased drinking and sexuality, including public nudity. Residents of the area became so upset at the damage done by vacationers, that the local government passed laws restricting parties in 1985. By 1989, the number of college vacationers fell to 20,000, a far cry from the 350,000 who went to Fort Lauderdale four years prior. [1] Spring break partygoers responded by moving to the much more liberal Daytona Beach area (over 200,000 students traveled there each spring at its peak), but after Daytona's local government undertook similar measures, the crowds of the mid-1990s and early 2000s had fallen to a point where "a few students still come, but officials don't even estimate their numbers." [2] Fort Lauderdale suffered a recession as a result of the self-imposed boycott, but the local hotel industry survived by catering to the retirement population.

The most popular spring break spots today include Cancún, Mexico; Miami Beach (in particular the South Beach area); Jamaica; Acapulco, Mexico; South Padre Island, Texas; and Panama City Beach, Florida. About 1,000,000 students go on spring break to these locations (USA Today, 5 January, 2003). Most students purchase specialized packaged tours. There are several logistics companies that charter airplanes and buy large blocks of hotel rooms to offer the deep discounts most college students need. Prices range from about $600 to $1400, which includes airfare, hotel, and 50 hours of open bar.

Alternative spring break trips are becoming more popular. For more charity oriented students, package trips are available to help people in poor countries, experience nature, and other activities outside the typical party scene.

A similar type of vacation is known as Senior week in the Northeast United States. Senior week follows high school graduation, where graduating seniors will go on a similar week-long vacation to a beach location.

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