Spring Break

Working, as i do, on a university campus (albeit a medical one), you get used to the place swarming with students on a daily basis - it's certainly one thing that Charleston and Manchester have in common. It was something of a surprise to me this week to find that the place was rather empty and, on further enquiry, I found out that it was Spring break this week (so that explains why my boss has gone off to Miami!). Now, quite why they have a spring holiday before the official start of Spring (March 21st) is beyond me - but as the semester starts somewhat early here (pretty much straight after January) i suppose they can't be blamed for wanting a holiday (even if they do get two Bank Holidays in January and February). Anyway, from what i understand of the holiday (i.e. have learned off of TV and friends around here), Spring break is not usually a time for the students to return home (especially so soon after Christmas) but rather to head off for warmer climes and, basically, a bloody big piss-up (or maybe not if most of them are under 21!!).

It certainly seems that when you look on the internet, there is something of a market for Spring break trips in the travel agents. According to one website, Spring break actually originated with the ancient Greeks - it is said that when the chills of winter lessened, the elders noticed that the younger generation where rather more energetic and so Socrates proposed a wild rite to welcome Spring and let the young people go crazy basically. The reason given for why this is not such a worldwide thing is that when Christianity triumphed over paganism, the whole affair was abandoned. The cynic in me takes this with something of a pinch of salt - it sounds almost like someone is trying to justify having a week off to relax, party and enjoy themselves before exams in the summer. I mean, who needs a reason??