History of New England Winter Vacation Week

[jimmywilson69]

what is the history of New England Winter Vacation? Growing up in PA this was not a thing and still isn't a thing. Was the initial intent to drive people to the mountains/outdoors?

I've always been curious.

Also we needed a "lighter" ski topic than shitting on Vail, Alterra, and the fairly lousy winter!

 

[Andrew B.]

When I was younger my mother used to say it was to give the school a chance to open the windows to air out the germs and give the school a chance to thoroughly clean the school.
My father said it was to save money on heating costs.

 

[1dog]

When I was younger my mother used to say it was to give the school a chance to open the windows to air out the germs and give the school a chance to thoroughly clean the school.
My father said it was to save money on heating costs.

And give the union a break after 6 weeks of kids. . . . . . . . 38 weeks of work, 14 of vacation. . . .

the ski thing - prime time ( highest VT snowfall month historically has always been March tho)

ever since I was skiing to was a big week - bigger than Christmas for a bunch of reasons ( family, not enough time for a base build, etc.)

Higher prices, and jammed traffic on Friday nights for there 3 day, and more Sat for the Sat to Sat crowds. Mid week Feb vacation never seemed packed though.

Only Sat/Sun/last Sat - Sunday empty by 1-2 PM as everyone wants to get home.


Watch the traffic this weekend with significant snow predicted Friday. . . . in the old days - pre mega-pass - that's when last minute families and groups would be shooting up Friday night - except now, can't get last. minute accommodations - even B&B's are booked far in advance. Try VRBO or AirBnB for 2 night stay this weekend or most any - tough- or very expensive.

 

[thebigo]

Living in NH my entire life, I had no idea Feb vacation was just a new england thing. Always assumed everybody had it off. I do remember as a kid, NH and MA had the same week and the ski areas were packed. Roughly early 90s most of NH switched to the week following MA to spread the crowds for the ski areas. Having dinner with my mid 70s parents tonight, they will remember the history, I will try to remember to ask.

Strangley enough our tiny NH town switched back to mass week this year and the ski areas have been empty - the weather has certainly played a part. Assuming the Friday storm verifies, this weekend is likely to be slammed.

 

[skiur]

It's presidents week, aren't pretty much all schools off? I grew up on long island and everyone was off, my cousin's in Jersey were off too.

 

[raisingarizona]

Well it would be un-American if it was to simply give people a break. I’ve always felt school was prepping us for a monotonous work life or for those that don’t comply prison.

I worked in tourism for many years and spring break really opened my eyes up to how it’s all set up. Spring break is generally a week and maybe some change for a lot of kids and their breaks are staged out by region. The spring break busy period actually lasts two months. I’m guessing this isn’t an accident, if everyone came at once businesses would be overwhelmed and not make nearly as much.

 

[Smellytele]

Living in NH my entire life, I had no idea Feb vacation was just a new england thing. Always assumed everybody had it off. I do remember as a kid, NH and MA had the same week and the ski areas were packed. Roughly early 90s most of NH switched to the week following MA to spread the crowds for the ski areas. Having dinner with my mid 70s parents tonight, they will remember the history, I will try to remember to ask.

Strangley enough our tiny NH town switched back to mass week this year and the ski areas have been empty - the weather has certainly played a part. Assuming the Friday storm verifies, this weekend is likely to be slammed.

President’s day is late this year as it is always the Monday between Lincoln’s and Washington’s Birthdays. If 2 mondays as with this year It is the latter one.

 

[Smellytele]

Well it would be un-American if it was to simply give people a break. I’ve always felt school was prepping us for a monotonous work life or for those that don’t comply prison.

I worked in tourism for many years and spring break really opened my eyes up to how it’s all set up. Spring break is generally a week and maybe some change for a lot of kids and their breaks are staged out by region. The spring break busy period actually lasts two months. I’m guessing this isn’t an accident, if everyone came at once businesses would be overwhelmed and not make nearly as much.

New England gets 2 spring breaks. Well not actually spring for both but February/march and April

 

[cdskier]

It's presidents week, aren't pretty much all schools off? I grew up on long island and everyone was off, my cousin's in Jersey were off too.

Not anymore at least. My town in NJ is only off the Friday before President's Day and President's Day itself. I can't recall whether we had a full week off back when I was a kid or not.

I checked a few surrounding towns too. Some are off are all week, some are like my town with Friday/Monday off, and one even was Monday-Wed off (thought that one was really weird).

 

[jimmywilson69]

no schools in PA are off for the whole week that I am aware of.

 

[tumbler]

Public and private schools have different vacations.

 

[slatham]

Growing up in the late 60's-early 80's in DC area we had long weekends for both Lincoln (at least a few years) and Washington b-days. Then Presidents day. Not the week.

Having kids on LI since early 2000's we (and NYC schools) have always had the week off. Through chairlift banter, ski area friends, etc its seems the Presidents holiday is all over the map: Fri+Mon, Mon+Tues, Thur+Fri+Mon, all week, Monday only.

Anyone without the full Presidents week usually has a traditional, mid-March week for Spring break.

On LI we do not get the spring break but do get a week for Easter/Passover which worked for skiing some years if early enough and a good winter.

 

[Dickc]

Grew up in Mass. We always had the full February week as well as the April week off. Never heard of why however, and I'm 67 this year.

 

[PAabe]

High school we got MLK and President's day themselves off, but they were usually snow make-up days so we often had class anyway. Then we usually got Good Friday and the day after Easter Sunday in March or April. I never heard of getting the whole week off before learning that it is apparently a popular time to go skiing in New England.

College in Delaware we didn't get President's day nor Good Friday nor the day after Easter but we did get a week spring break about the beginning of April.

 

[ScottySkis]

Long Island all sholchs where closed for weeks
My dad drove us from middle Suffolk County to different north New England drive for day and ski tho week evey winter different resort flew once to sugarloaf awesome memories for sure I glad he was addictive to the awesome hobby

 

[x10003q]

Growing up in NJ, we had a week off in Feb around Washington's birthday. Mostly, my family would head to Vt on Sunday and come home Friday. My dad must have figured out some kind of package. Some years we would go up on Friday night and stay until the following mid week.

My oldest still had a week off from school in Feb/Presidents' day until the combination of the Oct 30, 2011, snowstorm and Superstorm Sandy, Oct 29, 2012. Both storms knocked out power for days and the local schools took days away from the Presidents' week vacation in order to make up days and maintain the planned school closing date in June. This change stuck and now only Monday and Tuesday are off during the "Presidents' Week". It sucks. School now goes from New Years to Easter with only 3 days off. Spring Break always backs into Easter. Teachers have told me it is a tough run. Some years, when Easter is earlier, we can get in some skiing.

 

[machski]

I was told the Feb/April breaks came about during the energy crisis/oil embargo back in the early 70's IIRC (1973 I believe, so wasn't even around yet). Given the heating oil cost spikes, most New England schools decided to close for a week in February to save $$. Not sure if April Vacas were a thing then or not. If not, they were likely added to give staff a break as Feb-June would be the longest stretch full in. The idea stuck and has been this way ever since. Most NH schools always go out the week after MA/ME/VT for both February and April although some boarder districts have been realigning to the neighboring regions on their weeks.

 

[Razor]

I was in grammar school in the 1950s, and in Mass. we had both February and April vacations back then.

 

[puckoach]

The two weeks in Feb and April is regional. Except CT. Which has adjusted what they do. Was three days a few years ago. I don't know about this year.

 

[Pez]

Public school in MA we had a week in feb and a week in april

then I went to a private school and we just got 1 week off in march. but we started later in January and got out sooner in June.

ahhhh to be a kid again.