To ask how much and what kind of holiday you take at Easter

[ThatNimblePeer]

Have realised that I never quite know what to do with Easter hols. Summer and Christmas just sort of feel intuitive - in summer you want some sun and a break, at Christmas I definitely always want some rest, some family time and a break. But as someone with a busy job, no partner and no kids (and not at all religious), I don’t quite know what to do with Easter, and a lot of recent years I think I’ve taken the bank holidays off at most, sometimes not even those.

Work is encouraging me to take some time off as I’ve got plenty of annual leave left, and I’m thinking maybe next week I could go and catch up with friends in the city where I used to live, but then I’m thinking, will they even be around? Will they be working or on annual leave? Will they be out of the country? I know the simplest way is to ask them, but I’m curious what mumsnetters do and if you feel there is a ‘typical’ Easter break? How much time do you take off, and do you typically stay home or go away?

YABU - I take two weeks off and go away
YANBU - I take the bank holidays off and stay home

I just take the bank holidays off and stay at home. I always think it would be nice to go away for Easter, like on a city break. But it's always £££ because lots of people want to travel and I'd rather go when it's less busy/cheaper.

Last year we did a city break to Germany which was wonderful.

I take the odd day holiday here and there to cover childcare, as does DH. Rest is covered by grandparents.

We don’t go away - we usually have our overseas beach holiday during the May/June half term and a domestic holiday (UK or Ireland) in the summer.

I work for a university. We get Maundy Thursday and Tuesday of Easter week off anyway (sometimes Wednesday of Easter week too) so it's always 6 or 7 days break anyway.

Don't usually go away anywhere but usually see some family and have them come to stay. If we didn't have that then I'd happily have a friend come to stay for a few days too.

Good Friday this year we are going on a day trip to a castle we've not been to before. Other days DH and I have split annual leave. Some have been playdates, some just mooching at home. DH is taking DC to an animal park on his day off on Wednesday.

Easter is Christmas 2.0 in my house.

Christmas is the best time of year so why not do it twice?

I take a full fortnight off work and make myself completely unavailable to anyone and everyone.

Fortnight off work
Decorations everywhere
PIles of presents
Freezer full of food
Fridge full of wine
Themed jumpers

Absolutely heaven.

Edited to add: We are committed atheists.

I like this idea, do you save xmas food and freeze it? I still have mince pie cream, stuffing and cheese in the freezer. Ive eaten the smoked salmon but I still have some pate.

I have not chosen either of the options you've given. I don't take 2 weeks off. A week is a nice easter break. Holiday ideas in last few years have centred on a short flight European break: Germany, Belgium, Netherlands etc. Stay airbnb. Book mix of theme park, sightseeing in pretty places, boat trips, meals out, parks, castles, hikes, bikes etc. I think easter holidays being 2 weeks are too long to do little with.

I’ve never taken time off work at Easter, the 4 days is enough of a break for me. I prefer to take time off in the May bank holiday or sometimes I take a 3rd week off in the summer. DS is busy revising for GCSE’s this year so we couldn’t have really gone away. Everyone else at work and lots of my clients take time off at Easter though - maybe I’m missing out!

I take 1-2 weeks off to cover DS’s school holidays at Easter (DH will take off the other week or both). We see my family generally on Easter Sunday and usually at other points in Holy Week. (We see ILs at Feb half term and/or May half term usually).

We don’t go abroad or on a holiday in the UK at Easter or most of the half terms like many of DS’s friends families do- I don’t know where they find the money!

Thanks for all the replies! Sounds like it’s a mixed bag, but I’m not a total weirdo for not having two weeks booked in the South of France…

I always have 2 weeks as I'm a teacher. We usually either go away to visit family or host family at home. We rarely book a proper holiday.

I’m off for two weeks. We do a trip somewhere abroad - short flight, five nights max and then we do our Easter traditions too, involving making decorations for the house, baking, visiting a farm, whole family gatherings, egg hunt and church on Easter Sunday. It’s one of my favourite times of the year. For us, it’s about relaxing and welcoming spring. I like to clean the whole house, clothes shop for summer bits, get my sunglasses down, sort the garden out and have our first evening out by the fire out (usually in blankets ha) but we get out all the furniture again for the season.

I'm self employed and I don't work on Fridays anyway. So far I'm going to personal training and seeing one client on easter Monday. I go away when travel is cheaper.

DC get two weeks off at Easter so we should really take advantage and go away but for some reason we rarely have done so. Instead we have always tended to go away at summer and May half term. Having said that the weather has been so nice recently that I'm glad we have just been at home.

Usually what happens at Easter is that DH and I take a few days off (no more than a week) and usually visit family and maybe do some day trips like London. The Easter weekend itself we might get some DIY or garden stuff done around the house. That and the early May BH add good for getting stuff done!

No, we don't save Christmas food - there's never any left over by the end of Christmas 😂

But we restock the fridge, freezer and cupboards exactly the same as if it was Christmas. In fact, we probably get more in for Easter than Christmas because we always get a couple of hampers for Christmas which tops up the sweets/chocolate/desserts stash.

I've just done a £150 Iceland party food shop.

I'll put in a Laithwaite's wine order tonight.

Our next Morrisons shop will be random bits and pieces, ingredients to make all the festive meals - homemade stuffing, cakes, vegetable sides, full roast dinner etc.

We'll also get a couple of takeaways over the fortnight.

We used to alway go overseas at Easter, even post child being out of school as we both worked in education. It was a PITA as everything was more expensive. Went to America a couple of times, all over Europe and also on a couple of cruises.

I’ve got a toddler so will be taking as much holiday in term time as I can before being penned in by school holidays. I also work in education all year around so Easter is very quiet and a good opportunity to get loads done whilst schools are closed.

We usually go away for a week in the UK, but not this year because DC are revising for exams. It’s an efficient use of annual leave because of all the bank holidays. Having said that, our favourite places (Lakes and Peaks) are always heaving at Easter so actually once we’re no longer tied to school holidays we’ll probably stay home at Easter and go away in term time in May or June.

If you have no kids then I would be avoiding taking time off around Easter just because work are telling you to take time off then. You can book better times when places will be less busy and cheaper if you did want to go abroad.

As for me, I have children and work in a school so my holidays are fixed. I would love the freedom to pick better times to book a holiday.

I always take the 4 days after bank holiday Monday… I then have 10 days off for 4 days holiday.
if I’m not going away then I use it to deep clean, sort the garden and see friends

Normally take at least a 10 day holiday, had to be a week this time due to having school holidays and the flights to destination only going once a week on a Thursday