Spring break
Spring break is a vacation period in spring, typically about one week, when schools and universities suspend classes.
Tourism: Tourism is travel and temporary stays away from home for leisure, business, or other purposes. Spring break concentrates leisure travel into a recurring school-calendar period.
Beach resort: A beach resort is a lodging and recreation destination located beside a beach. Warm coastal resorts are among the most visible spring-break destinations.
Seasonality in tourism: Seasonality in tourism is the recurring variation in visitor numbers across times of year. Spring break creates a sharp, predictable surge in demand at some destinations.
Easter holiday: The Easter holiday is a school or workplace break scheduled around the Christian celebration of Easter. Some institutions align their spring pause with Easter, while others schedule it separately.
School calendar: A school calendar specifies instructional days, holidays, breaks, and other dates in an academic year. Spring break's timing and length depend on decisions about the broader school calendar.
Youth culture: Youth culture comprises shared styles, practices, and values associated with young people. College spring-break trips became a recognizable expression of youth culture.
Cancún: Cancún is a Mexican Caribbean city and resort destination on the Yucatán Peninsula. Its hotels and nightlife have made it a prominent destination for U.S. college spring breakers.
Overtourism: Overtourism occurs when visitor numbers harm residents' quality of life or damage a destination. Large seasonal crowds can strain local infrastructure and public spaces.
Winter break: Winter break is a school vacation period occurring during winter, often around year-end holidays. It is another fixed academic pause, but falls in a different season and holiday context.
School start times: School start times are the scheduled hours when classes begin each day. Both calendar policies shape student routines, but start-time debates concern daily schedules rather than seasonal pauses.