It’s right there. That glimmer of sunshine over the horizon. It’s that smell in the air when you find yourself walking around in 50 degree weather after a cold snowy winter. It’s Spring Break; your own little breath of fresh air, and it is right around the corner. So, what are you planning to do? If you’re anything like the typical college student you are probably looking for sun, sand and surf, bars, dancing, or just anything and anywhere where you can let yourself go and pretend, for a week that you have no cares in the world. These types of spring break celebrations are the quintessential forms of spring break experiences for the American college students, but what about the college students around the rest of the world? Are we U.S. students the only one’s looking for a good time during spring break? And More importantly (GASP!) are we the only ones who actually get a spring break?
Spring break, “also known as March break, Study Week or Reading Week in some parts of Canada, is a week-long recess from studying in early spring at universities and schools in the United States, Canada, mainland China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil and other countries,” according to inter-campus.com. In the U.S. spring break typically falls somewhere in March and April and many universities in the U.S. often try to schedule their spring breaks “such that Saint Patrick’s Day falls during the week in order to lessen the amount of partying and drinking on their campuses.” This is not necessarily the case in other countries. In the United Kingdom, for example “the corresponding 2 weeks’ holiday are called the “Easter break” or “Easter holidays,” as it is scheduled for the weeks following and proceeding Easter, and is often held in April. In many Canadian universities, the similar break in late February is intended to allow students to relax from the stresses of their studies.” The differences get even more varied. “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; and in South Africa, it is held around September, with students flocking from all over South Africa to Umhlanga, Plettenberg Bay and Sun City.” So, spring break isn’t just an American made occasion, but do all college students partake in the same activities that U.S. students do during the break from their studies?
The top spring break destinations for U.S. college students include Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Cancún, Mexico. Not surprisingly, these are all near the sun, sand, beaches, and bars. Spring break in Africa, though held on the exact opposite time of year, involves much of the same. When looking into the top beaches in Africa, the previously mentioned popular spring break destinations; Umhlanga, Plettenberg Bay, and Sun City, all popped up in my wonderful little Google search. These were advertised by allbestbeaches.com as being great places to “enjoy the sun, the ocean and also the most popular entertainment Mecca’s,” very similar to the American spring break destinations. Interestingly though, I found a big difference in the advertisement of American spring break destinations and African ones. Unlike the popular American destinations, African beaches were also advertised as being full of nature and culture since Africa itself “has a long history dating back to the first settlements of modern humans”. Similarly, Canada promotes its spring break destinations as being full of culture as well. The province of Quebec has an “old-world feel and French influence. Often referred to as Paris without the jet lag, Montréal is a city which has made a name for itself as an edgy cultural melting pot”. Spring breaks around the world seem to promote culture and learning more than American ones, but they all state themselves as being a time to give students a break from their studies and a chance to relax.
I hope you find it just as interesting as I do that not only does a type of spring break happen all over the world for college students, but that learning can still take place during spring break by becoming immersed in the culture and nature of wherever you visit. A few of my friends are traveling to New Orleans, some are planning the typical trip to Mexico, another dear friend is planning a spring break road trip, and I’m going back home to Minnesota to spend time with family. Though these are all the average American college student spring breaks, by no means are they inferior to the history packed beaches of Africa or the culture filled areas of Quebec. These types of spring break destinations not only include learning about different cultures as you travel to a different side of the country or step foot onto an interesting spot in Mexico, but they also include the chance to learn, if nothing else, a little bit about yourself.
Sources:
Allbeaches.com
Inter-campus.com
Media.www.gwhatchet.com
Google Images