Spring break - wikipedia Spring break For other uses, see Spring break ( disambiguation ). This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( August 2010 ) Spring break is a vacational period in early Spring at universities and schools which started during the 1930s in the United States and is observed in some other mainly Western countries. Spring break is also a phenomenon dominated by 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. Contents 1 History 1.1 Asia 1.1. 1 Japan 1.1. 2 Kuwait 1.1. 3 South Korea 1.2 Europe 1.2. 1 Czech Republic 1.2. 2 Georgia 1.2. 3 Germany 1.2. 4 Greece 1.2. 5 Lithuania 1.2. 6 Portugal 1.2. 7 Russia 1.2. 8 Sweden 1.2. 9 Spain 1.2. 10 United Kingdom 1.3 North America 1.3. 1 Canada 1.3. 2 Jamaica 1.3. 3 Mexico 1.3. 4 United States 1.4 Central America 1.4. 1 Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras 1.5 South America 1.5. 1 Colombia 1.5. 2 Chile 2 Spring break festivals 2.1 Pacific 2.1. 1 Fiji 2.1. 2 Cook Islands 2.2 Europe 2.2. 1 Croatia 2.2. 2 Germany 2.2. 3 Greece 2.2. 4 Hungary 2.2. 5 Italy 2.2. 6 Spain 2.3 North America 2.3. 1 Caribbean 2.3. 2 Mexico 2.3. 3 United States 2.3. 3.1 Panama City Beach, Florida 2.3. 3.2 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 2.3. 3.3 South Padre Island, Texas 3 Corporate marketing 4 See also 5 References 6 External links 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. 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 the country of 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. Sweden In Sweden, primary school students typically have winter sports holiday for one week in February as well as Easter holidays for one week in April, during Easter. Spain In Spain, there is not a Spring break proper. 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 ) and fits around Easter. North america Canada Canada gives a 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, and is usually a week long ; the break in Alberta and Manitoba usually occurs in the last week of March. Post-secondary students in Ontario and Alberta usually get a week off in mid-February. Jamaica In Jamaica, the Spring break starts in the first week of March. The break may range from three days to one week. Mexico In Mexico, Spring break takes place during the Holy Week and the one after it. United States In the United States, Spring break at the college and university level 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 two - week - long break known as `` Easter Break, '' `` Easter Holidays '', or `` Easter Vacation '', as they generally take place in the weeks before or after Easter. 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. 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. Spring break festivals This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2014 ) Large annual Spring break festivities take place in various countries, often in the form of music festivals and joined by special nightclub parties, beach activities and accommodation offers. This is an incomplete list of places with Spring break festivals. Pacific The South Pacific enjoys Spring break during November. Some tour companies are now chartering out entire island resorts for the festivities. Fiji Fiji Cook Islands Rarotonga Europe European party destinations are increasingly becoming popular for international Spring break guests. Tour agencies have cited the lower drinking ages in these places and that even then, they are rarely enforced. Some tour companies put on special chartered flights for Spring break at discounted rates. Croatia Spring break at Novalja ( Zrće Beach ), Croatia Novalja ( Zrće Beach ) Germany Pouch Rugia ( Binz / Prora ) and Usedom islands ( Kaiser Spa ) Greece Mykonos Hungary Siófok ( Lake Balaton ) Italy Rimini Spain Ibiza Lloret de Mar Magaluf ( Mallorca ) Salou North america Caribbean Montego Bay, Jamaica Nassau, Bahamas Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Mexico Acapulco Cancún United States Panama City beach, Florida Starting in the late 90 's, Panama City Beach began advertising the destination hoping to attract crowds that had formerly gone to Fort Lauderdale and then Daytona before those communities enacted restrictions. From 2010 - 2016 an estimated 300,000 students traveled to the destination. The spawn of social media and digital marketing helped propel the beach town into a student mecca during March. Following well publicized shootings and a gang rape in 2015, several new ordinances were put into effect prohibiting drinking on the beach and establishing a bar closing time of 2 a.m. Central Time. Reports show a drop in Panama City Beach 's Spring break turnout in March 2016 followed by increased family tourism in April 2016. Both are credited / blamed on the new ordinances by the Bay County Community Development Corporation ( CDC ). Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale 's reputation as a Spring break destination for college students started when the Colgate University men 's swim team arrived to practice there over Christmas break in 1934. Attracting approximately 20,000 college students in the 1950s, Spring break was still known as ' Spring vacation ' and was a relatively low key affair. This began to change when Glendon Swarthout 's novel, Where the Boys Are was published in 1958, effectively ushering in modern Spring break. Swarthout 's 1958 novel was quickly made into a movie of the same title in 1960 Where the Boys Are, in which college girls met boys while on Spring break there. The number of visiting college students immediately jumped to over 50,000. By the early 1980s, Ft. Lauderdale was attracting between 250,000 - 350,000 college students per year during Spring break. Residents of the Fort Lauderdale area became so upset at the damage done by college students that the local government passed laws restricting parties in 1985. At the same time, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was enacted in the United States, requiring that Florida raise the minimum drinking age to 21 and inspiring many underage college vacationers to travel to other locations in the United States for Spring break. By 1989, the number of college students traveling to Fort Lauderdale fell to 20,000, a far cry from the 350,000 who went four years prior. South Padre Island, texas In the early 1980s, South Padre Island became the first location outside of Florida to draw a large number of college students for Spring break. With only a few thousand residents, South Padre Island has consistently drawn between 80,000 and 120,000 Spring breakers for the last 30 years. Corporate marketing It is common for major brands that cater to the youth market ( e.g., Coca - Cola, Gillette, MTV, and branches of the United States Armed Forces ) to market at Spring break destinations. See also Schoolies week Senior Week References Jump up ^ Laurie, John ( 2008 ). Spring break : The Economic, Socio - Cultural and Public Governance Impacts of College Students on Spring break Host Locations. ProQuest. p. 17. ISBN 9781109023091. Jump up ^ studenten-wg.de - About semester breaks in Germany ( German ) Jump up ^ Island Party Fiji Jump up ^ NZ Herald - Fire at Spring break FIJI Jump up ^ Stuff - What is Spring break ? Jump up ^ Kressmann, Jeremy ( 10 February 2009 ). `` Budget Travel : European Spring break ''. Retrieved 23 June 2014. Jump up ^ Croatia Spring break Jump up ^ Spring break Island Croatia Jump up ^ Sputnik Springbreak Festival in Pouch, Germany Jump up ^ Annual Baltic Spring break, Usedom Island, Germany Jump up ^ Firstpost video of Mykonos Spring break Jump up ^ Spring break 2011. Balaton, video Jump up ^ Spring break Rimini 2012, video Jump up ^ Spring break Ibiza Jump up ^ Springbreak Spain Jump up ^ Mallorca Spring break Magaluf Jump up ^ 2015 SpringBreak Salou by Funbreak, video Jump up ^ Montego Bay Spring break Jamaica Jump up ^ Nassau Spring break Jump up ^ Punta Cana Spring break DomRep Jump up ^ Spring break in Acapulco Jump up ^ Epic Spring break in Cancun, Mexico, video Jump up ^ http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/Some-local-businesses-say-the-smaller-spring-break-crowds-have-had-a-negative-impact-on-the-local-economy-373795851.html Jump up ^ http://www.newsherald.com/news/20160626/panama-city-reports-record-bed-tax-numbers-in-april Jump up ^ Marsh, Bill. `` The Innocent Birth of the Spring Bacchanal ''. The New York Times, March 19, 2006. Jump up ^ Laurie, John ( 2008 ). Spring break : The Economic, Socio - Cultural and Public Governance Effects of College Students on Spring break Host Locations. ProQuest. p. 12. ISBN 9781109023091. Jump up ^ Bohn, Lauren ( 30 March 2009 ). `` A Brief History of Spring break ''. Time U.S. Retrieved 3 October 2012. Jump up ^ Laurie, John ( 2008 ). Spring break : The Economic, Socio - Cultural and Public Governance Impacts of College Students of Spring break Host Locations. ProQuest. p. 66. ISBN 9781109023091. External links Media related to Spring break at Wikimedia Commons Holidays, observances, and celebrations in Algeria January New Year 's Day ( 1 ) Yennayer ( 14 ) February Valentine 's Day ( 14 ) Tafsut ( 28 ) March International Women 's Day ( 8 ) Victory Day ( 19 ) World Water Day ( 22 ) Maghrebi Blood Donation Day ( 30 ) Spring vacation ( 2 last weeks ) April April Fools ' Day ( 1 ) Knowledge Day ( 16 ) Berber Spring ( 20 ) Earth Day ( 22 ) Election Day ( Thursday ) May International Workers ' Day ( 1 ) World Press Freedom Day ( 3 ) Mother 's Day ( last Sunday ) June -- July -- August Summer vacation ( varies ) June Children 's Day ( 1 ) Father 's Day ( 21 ) July Independence Day ( 5 ) September International Day of Peace ( 21 ) October International Day of Non-Violence ( 2 ) Halloween ( 31 ) November Revolution Day ( 1 ) December Christmas Eve ( 24 ) Christmas ( 25 ) New Year 's Eve ( 31 ) Winter vacation ( 2 last weeks ) Varies ( year round ) Hijri New Year 's Day ( Muharram 1 ) Ashura ( Muharram 10 ) Mawlid ( Rabi ' al - Awwal 12 ) Ramadan ( Ramadan 1 ) Laylat al - Qadr ( Ramadan 27 ) Eid al - Fitr ( Shawwal 1 ) Day of Arafah ( Dhu al - Hijjah 9 ) Eid al - Adha ( Dhu al - Hijjah 10 ) Holi ( varies ) Bold indicates major holidays commonly celebrated in Algeria, which often represent the major celebrations of the month. See also : Lists of holidays. Public holidays in Europe Sovereign states Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City States with limited recognition Abkhazia Artsakh Kosovo Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria Dependencies and other entities Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Svalbard Other entities European Union Holidays, observances, and celebrations in the United States January New Year 's Day ( federal ) Martin Luther King Jr. Day ( federal ) Confederate Heroes Day ( TX ) Fred Korematsu Day ( CA, FL, HI, VA ) Idaho Human Rights Day ( ID ) Inauguration Day ( federal quadrennial, DC area ) Kansas Day ( KS ) Lee -- Jackson Day ( formerly Lee -- Jackson -- King Day ) ( VA ) Robert E. Lee Day ( FL, GA ) Stephen Foster Memorial Day ( 36 ) The Eighth ( LA, former federal ) January -- February Super Bowl Sunday February American Heart Month Black History Month Washington 's Birthday / Presidents ' Day ( federal ) Valentine 's Day Georgia Day ( GA ) Groundhog Day Lincoln 's Birthday ( CA, CT, IL, IN, MO, NJ, NY, WV ) National Girls and Women in Sports Day National Freedom Day ( 36 ) Primary Election Day ( WI ) Ronald Reagan Day ( CA ) Rosa Parks Day ( CA, MO ) Susan B. Anthony Day ( CA, FL, NY, WI, WV, proposed federal ) February -- March Mardi Gras Ash Wednesday ( religious ) Courir de Mardi Gras ( religious ) Super Tuesday March Irish - American Heritage Month National Colon Cancer Awareness Month Women 's History Month St. Patrick 's Day ( religious ) Spring break ( week ) Casimir Pulaski Day ( IL ) Cesar Chavez Day ( CA, CO, TX, proposed federal ) Evacuation Day ( Suffolk County, MA ) Harriet Tubman Day ( NY ) Holi ( NY, religious ) Mardi Gras ( AL ( in two counties ), LA ) Maryland Day ( MD ) National Poison Prevention Week ( week ) Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Day ( HI ) Saint Joseph 's Day ( religious ) Seward 's Day ( AK ) Texas Independence Day ( TX ) Town Meeting Day ( VT ) March -- April Easter ( religious ) Palm Sunday ( religious ) Passover ( religious ) Good Friday ( CT, NC, PR, religious ) Easter Monday ( religious ) April Confederate History Month 420 Day April Fools ' Day Arbor Day Confederate Memorial Day ( AL, FL, MS, SC ) Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust ( week ) Earth Day Emancipation Day ( DC ) Thomas Jefferson 's Birthday ( AL ) Pascua Florida ( FL ) Patriots ' Day ( MA, ME ) San Jacinto Day ( TX ) Siblings Day Walpurgis Night ( religious ) May Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Jewish American Heritage Month Memorial Day ( federal ) Mother 's Day ( 36 ) Cinco de Mayo Harvey Milk Day ( CA ) Law Day ( 36 ) Loyalty Day ( 36 ) Malcolm X Day ( CA, IL, proposed federal ) May Day Military Spouse Day National Day of Prayer ( 36 ) National Defense Transportation Day ( 36 ) National Maritime Day ( 36 ) Peace Officers Memorial Day ( 36 ) Truman Day ( MO ) June Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month Father 's Day ( 36 ) Bunker Hill Day ( Suffolk County, MA ) Carolina Day ( SC ) Emancipation Day In Texas / Juneteenth ( TX ) Flag Day ( 36, proposed federal ) Helen Keller Day ( PA ) Honor America Days ( 3 weeks ) Jefferson Davis Day ( AL, FL ) Kamehameha Day ( HI ) Odunde Festival ( Philadelphia, PA ) Senior Week ( week ) West Virginia Day ( WV ) July Independence Day ( federal ) Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea ( HI, unofficial ) Parents ' Day ( 36 ) Pioneer Day ( UT ) July -- August Summer vacation August American Family Day ( AZ ) Barack Obama Day ( IL ) Bennington Battle Day ( VT ) Hawaii Admission Day / Statehood Day ( HI ) Lyndon Baines Johnson Day ( TX ) National Aviation Day ( 36 ) Service Reduction Day ( MD ) Victory over Japan Day ( RI, former federal ) Women 's Equality Day ( 36 ) September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Labor Day ( federal ) California Admission Day ( CA ) Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day ( 36 ) Constitution Day ( 36 ) Constitution Week ( week ) Defenders Day ( MD ) Gold Star Mother 's Day ( 36 ) National Grandparents Day ( 36 ) National Payroll Week ( week ) Native American Day ( CA, TN, proposed federal ) Patriot Day ( 36 ) September -- October Hispanic Heritage Month Oktoberfest Rosh Hashanah ( religious ) Yom Kippur ( religious ) October Breast Cancer Awareness Month Disability Employment Awareness Month Filipino American History Month LGBT History Month Columbus Day ( federal ) Halloween Alaska Day ( AK ) Child Health Day ( 36 ) General Pulaski Memorial Day German - American Day Indigenous Peoples ' Day ( VT ) International Day of Non-Violence Leif Erikson Day ( 36 ) Missouri Day ( MO ) National School Lunch Week Native American Day ( SD ) Nevada Day ( NV ) Sweetest Day White Cane Safety Day ( 36 ) October -- November Diwali ( religious ) November Native American Indian Heritage Month Veterans Day ( federal ) Thanksgiving ( federal ) Day after Thanksgiving ( 24 ) Election Day ( CA, DE, HI, KY, MT, NJ, NY, OH, PR, WV, proposed federal ) Family Day ( NV ) Hanukkah ( religious ) Lā Kūʻokoʻa ( HI, unofficial ) Native American Heritage Day ( MD, WA ) Obama Day ( Perry County, AL ) December Christmas ( religious, federal ) Alabama Day ( AL ) Christmas Eve ( KY, NC, SC ) Day after Christmas ( KY, NC, SC, TX ) Festivus Hanukkah ( religious, week ) Indiana Day ( IN ) Kwanzaa ( religious, week ) National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ( 36 ) New Year 's Eve Pan American Aviation Day ( 36 ) Rosa Parks Day ( OH, OR ) Wright Brothers Day ( 36 ) Varies ( year round ) Eid al - Adha ( religious ) Eid al - Fitr ( religious ) Ramadan ( religious, month ) Legend : ( federal ) = federal holidays, ( state ) = state holidays, ( religious ) = religious holidays, ( week ) = weeklong holidays, ( month ) = monthlong holidays, ( 36 ) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies Bold indicates major holidays commonly celebrated in the United States, which often represent the major celebrations of the month. See also : Lists of holidays, Hallmark holidays, public holidays in the United States, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spring_break&oldid=801549233 '' Categories : Types of secular holidays Spring ( season ) Student culture Types of tourism Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from August 2010 All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from April 2013 Articles needing additional references from March 2014 Wikipedia articles needing clarification from April 2013 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Dansk Deutsch Español Français Frysk 한국어 Italiano Latviešu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Português Русский Slovenščina Suomi Svenska ไทย ᏣᎳᎩ 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 20 September 2017, at 10 : 32. 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Question: when does spring break start in the us
Answer: from March to April