To think it's not half term?

[WildBelle]

For a few years I've noticed that a lot of people refer to any school holiday as half term (except the summer holiday which is pretty much always called the summer holiday).

Now, when I was at school (ok it was a while ago), half terms were the week you would get off half way through the term, e.g. in October, February and May. The longer holidays were the Christmas and Easter holidays, NOT half term.

But now they all seem to he know as 'half term'. I've noticed it a lot on here as well as real life. I am probably massively unreasonable to get annoyed by it but every time I hear it it makes me twitch. How can it be half term at the end of a term?

[fufulina]

I nearly wrote to them. Then got a grip!

[WildBelle]

I don't think you would have been unreasonable to do that

[Sparkletastic]

So with you on this OP! Even my parents asked if DCs were on 'half term' this week. Said no - Easter holiday! Half terms are generally 1 week in duration and come HALFWAY through the term. I'm a pedant too so easily enraged by fuckwittery.

[WildBelle]

It's good to know I'm not alone and to be able to rant about it on here. Obviously in real life I would never correct anyone (much as I'd like to).

[HashiAsLarry]

I call them all half term, even summer. I think it's wishful thinking that they're only a week long 🙈

[Sparklingbrook]

Half term=October and February, and Whitsun. Other than that it's 'the holidays'-Christmas, Easter and Summer. At the end of full terms.

[Mulledwine1]

Recently someone asked in a local parents' group about destinations for going away in half term. I said - do you mean the Easter holidays, or do you mean May half term.

She meant the Easter holidays.

Well your advice/suggestions could vary quite a lot depending on whether you're suggesting destinations for the end of March into the middle of April or the end of May/early June.

[SerialReJoiner]

A teacher once told me that each half term is now being referred to as a term (of six weeks or so), therefore half term holidays are now known as end of term holidays.

I don't understand.

[mum11970]

You get a week off at half term and two weeks off at the end of term. Easter is the end of the spring term and it will be the start of the summer term when they go back.

[AnnPerkins]

I haven't noticed it but it might annoy me, and would definitely lead to confusion.

No one seems to know what I mean by Whitsun any more though. Does everyone call it the late May bank holiday? Or half term??

[Alexandra87]

I just call them all school holidays

[MusicToMyEars800]

Yanbu, it annoys me too... it is the easter hols not half term! and also half term is normally a week off not 2 weeks

[NotInMyBackYard1]

YANBU - schools have an autumn term, a spring term and a summer term. With a half term break of one week (or two in some places) in the middle of those terms. Other breaks are Christmas and Easter and Summer holidays.

[WateryTart]

I'm delighted to say I don't know anyone stupid enough to do this.

[GrandDesespoir]

Pretty stupid, imo, to refer to it as "half-term" when "half-term" is a literal description of the holiday which takes place, erm, halfway through the term.

[Dragonglass]

We don't really get half terms any more as we have 6 terms not 3. Everyone still calls the week break half term though. The other holidays are Christmas, Easter and summer.

[MadisonAvenue]

I haven't heard that but it'd wind me up too!

AnnPerkins I still refer to it as Whitsun too.

[Honeybee79]

I thought it was just me who found this annoying .

[lottiegarbanzo]

You are so right.

The three main holidays are between terms. Half terms are... Half way through a term.

I have seen events advertised as happening in 'Easter half term'. Weird. Thought it was probably done by young marketing people with no DCs (and no memory of school days or common sense!).

[MaroonPencil]

I had never come across this until yesterday, when someone told me their child's nursery was closed for half term, and I was bemused. She is from Leicester and I am Essex so maybe it's one of those regional things?

[Checkedstripes]

Oh dear - I generally refer to all breaks as 'half term' bar Christmas and I'm a teacher. I think its because for me, the breaks are gaps between the terms and just break up what I'm teaching. Too late for me to change!

[thenightsky]

I said Whitsun to someone the other day and they had no idea what I was talking about. I said 'you know, Whitsuntide'. They laughed and told me I was making it up. Person was my age too.

[LateDad]

me2

I heard someone talk about "half term" and thought they were just confused: Now I realise this is fuckwittery deliberate.

Blimey!

[elkegel]

Yes, someone (who was older than me) called me old fashioned for refering to the Whitsun holidays. It's still written on calendars!

Technically there are 6 terms now so each holiday is end of term. I say half term sometimes for the ones that aren't but then correct myself.

[gillybeanz]

Agree, its bloody confusing too if you aren't good at calendars etc (I'm dyslexic) O often have to ask myself if someone is actually referring to half term, end of term, Christmas or Easter

I know this is Easter hol, but it's end of term not half term.
When the go back they start their last term which is summer.