We call them all "half term" here..

[Acc0untant]

And apparently I'm unreasonable. I see comment after comment about "it's not half term, that happens half way through each term" but ever since I was a child I, and everyone I know, calls each holiday a half term other than summer and Christmas. My parents and the parents of my friends (bearing in mind I'm in my 30s) have always done this.

Is it regional? I'm in the midlands. It's not just students/parents here, teachers use it this way, our school communications. Not even just my experience with one school, it was the same at my secondary school, my daughter's primary and secondary, my other child's nursery etc.

For us this is because we have a holiday after every half of a term, not that the holiday is half way within the term.

I appreciate that this wasn't the original intention of the phrase but at what point do we accept it's fine to use? Same as staycation originally meaning to do day trips from home rather than a UK holiday, it's now been used for both for so long that it's colloquially acceptable for both meanings.

Please no bun fights, I can't be bothered. I appreciate the pedantry with things such as this (and I can be that way with other stuff) but I'd really just like a nice, chilled conversation about it.

Do you say half term for almost all holidays? What region are you from? Would enjoy seeing if there's a correlation.

Sorry, that might be what people call it, but in England, it's incorrect and I bet the school doesn't call it that, either. How can almost every holiday be 'half term' when it's not half of the current school term? You certainly can't have three 'half terms' between the Christmas and summer holidays, can you? It makes no sense!

That's because there are three terms: winter term, spring term and summer term. The holidays at the end of those terms are the Christmas, Easter and Summer holidays. The holidays (often one week as opposed to two or more that mark the end of a term), are halfway between those terms in October, February and May, thus half term.

It winds me up beyond reason because its just so illogical 🤣

Half term is a week this is Easter holidays followed by Summer holidays and Xmas holidays I’m a Londoner if that makes any difference for

No, it's really not.

The schools I know that have 6 genuine "terms" have 6 terms of equal length and a holiday at the end of each one, with a extra break at Christmas, and no particular break round Easter unless it happens to coincide with the end of term holiday. They also don't use the phrase "half term".

I have seen schools calling their teaching periods "Term1, 2 ,3 ..." but they still follow the traditional pattern of a short break between 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6 and longer holidays at Easter, Christmas and summer. So the use of "half term" persists as it's a shorter "mid way" holiday.

Yep, in London we call it half term. :) i also know in Kent it's called half term, too xx

OK, but that means that none of the holidays can be half term then, so it's still wrong to call it that!

Yes it’s inaccurate, I don’t think it’s a massive issue but objectively speaking it’s just wrong . Almost like calling the end of a football match half time lol when it’s really full time 😂

I’m surprised it’s been misused like this as it wasn’t pre-2016 when I worked in schools - at least not in the areas I worked.

I think maybe some people don’t get half term effectively means “half time” in a school term. Ie. You’re getting a break half way through the term. So it doesn’t make sense to call the end of the term half term - because it’s just not.

From the Midlands, call Easter Easter holidays. Half term only applies to October, Feb and May. The May half term my Mum used to call Whit Week.

I am absolutely certain because Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland and our kids go back to school on Monday.

Happens many years.

I say:

Summer holidays
October half term
Christmas holidays
Feb half term
Easter holidays
May half term

I’m in London but grew up in NI and had fewer half terms and don’t think we called them half term. I’ve never given it any thought.

South East here and it's always been half terms which are halfway through the term (clue in the name) and then Christmas, Easter and Summer holidays at the end of the term.

I think its something that has grown legs but it obvs isn't half term. Easter hols, summer hols, Christmas hols, why is that so hard?

Yabu. It's (feb) half term, Easter hols, (may) half term, summer hols, (Oct) half term then Xmas hols.
I'm in Hampshire.

We have half term (October), Christmas holidays, half term (February), Easter holidays, half term (May) and summer holidays.

Never heard of calling them all half term. If someone did I’d be a bit bemused but it wouldn’t annoy me.

Here in NI, then holidays are: the summer, Halloween, Christmas, half term (mid Feb break) and Easter.

Some schools have an extra week at the end of may - I've never known what to call that one.

We call it May half term :)

I am from the East Midlands. We called the holidays in the middle of the terms , half term, and the other ones Christmas, Easter and the Summer holidays.

I’m in the Midlands and the swimming pool has posters up about their “Easter half-term” lessons.

I don’t remember this when I was growing up. Half-terms were the week breaks in October, February and May, halfway through the term!

I live in the Midlands. I, and everyone I know, call it Easter.

Midlands here and not heard the half term thing for all holidays. These holidays now are definitely the Easter holidays here and not half term

Well it’s not half term it’s end of term so why call it half term?

A previous poster corrected me. My apologies. I feel extra stupid because I am Scottish and went to school in Scotland myself. I have spent too many years down here in England!

I'm in Scotland and "half term" just isn't really used here - Christmas, Easter, Summer, Tattie/October holidays. I teach and the February "half term" is just a long weekend plus training days although obviously longer of a break for the kids who are off. I think this varies depending on the area, we get two weeks at October (plenty of time to pick tatties) where some places get one and then a week in Feb.

I’m Scottish and live in Scotland and tbh I thought it was a holiday too. I don’t remember ever being or the kids being at school on Easter Monday. We don’t go back till Wednesday where we are due to Easter Monday then a teacher inset day. Different councils, different rules.

I'm East Anglia - its always Feb half-term, Easter holidays, May halt-term, Summer holidays, Oct half-term and Xmas holidays here. Was when I was a kid too.

But obvs I'd know what someone meant if they referred to Easter holidays as something like April half-term too. It wouldn't be difficult to understand so I'd never try and correct them or anything.