It's not 'half term'

[SuePreemly]

When did all school holidays become half terms?
The school year is three terms: autumn (September until Christmas), Spring (January to Easter) and summer (Post Easter until July).

Each other these terms has a long holiday after is, of 2 weeks or more. Christmas, Easter and summer holidays.

Each term has a one week holiday half way through it (October, February, May). These, and only these are 'half terms' as they are halfway through the term.

Someone in the park yesterday was going on to their child about how good the long half term holiday was and it took all my willpower not to say something i may have perimenopausal rage issues.

Urgh, agree, the holidays should only be called Halloween break, Christmas holidays, February midterm, Easter and summer.

Only? Well, that very much depends on where you live.

Where do you live, out of interest? I'm in England and have taught in the SE and NW and have never heard 'Halloween break' or 'midterm'. It's always been Christmas holidays, Easter holidays, Summer holidays and October half term, February half term and May half term.

This bugs me too. 😬 Half terms are in February and October - half way through the term. Tbf I’ve not heard anyone describe the summer holidays as half term but always hear it used incorrectly for Easter and Christmas holidays!

Ah it was a niche callback to an old thread where an Irish poster was shredded for mentioning "Halloween break" in passing and not "half term". Too niche a reference for the joke to land!

This.

Is it even the summer holidays if we don't have at least one of these threads?

It is a break after then next half a term a guess but year its going to get confusing

There are 4 terms surely....? I'm in Scotland so not sure how different it is elsewhere?

We go back to school
1st term 14th august - 4th October
Tattie holidays
2nd term 21st October to 23rd December
Christmas Holidays
3rd term 6th Jan to 28th march
Spring holidays (although for some reason this year don't fall on Easter!)
4th term 14th April - 27th june
Summer holidays

We only have one 'midterm' break in mid February, and various in service days, and bank holidays for Easter and may day. Never had what is called Half term.

I know this isn’t AIBU but YANBU!

The clue is in the name! A half term holiday is half way through a term! Not at the end of a term! It’s not hard to understand and this habit of every school holiday being called a half term by some is definitely very irritating.

I've only noticed this very recently! Everyone always used to use 'school holiday' or 'half term' correctly, but in the last few years it seems like any holiday is now a 'half term'. As though people think that that's the correct term for any school break.

my DP does this and it drives me mad 😂

This never heard Halloween break. It’s often not even when Halloween is.

Sometimes I’ve heard autumn half term but never Halloween.

This doesn't wind me up much, but as a teacher in England, confirm that our planning is arranged around terms named 'Autumn', 'Spring' and 'Summer'. Each of these is subdivided into 1 & 2 and there are three half-term holidays in October, February and May.

Other holidays are Christmas, Easter and Summer.

@WickieRoy I didn't know the thread and it doesn't exactly matter, but just so you know, I thought it fairly obvious your post was tongue-in-cheek.

Thanks @AtomHeartMotherOfGod

@ChubSeedsYorkie - it's Halloween break in Ireland, and it is always over Halloween. There's a bank holiday too. We could really do with that bank holiday, August to Christmas is far too long.

Autumn Term
Spring Term
Summer Term

Each is bisected by a half-term holiday.

DH does this, but for some reason it's only the Easter holidays he calls "half term" incorrectly. I have no idea why!

How have you not asked him why? Did he not go to school in England?

It's a relatively recent decline in educational standards that has led to people being a bit thick and not understanding how schools work

Autumn term, with October half term in the middle, and Christmas holiday at the end.
Spring term, with February half term in the middle, and Easter holiday at the end.
Summer term, with May half term in the middle, and summer holiday at the end.

Thats how it always been for me and my kids, in England.

As a teacher, I've heard students saying half term for every holiday. But this has o my been in the last couple of years. It drives me nuts and I always have to correct them!

Yes, I agree that this has just sprung up over the last couple of years.

My granny used to call October half term blackberry week.

No, he's very intelligent & he went to school in England, albeit over 40 years ago. I think it's because we have no children at school, he knows it's the school holidays & often Easter is quite early so he just calls it half term as a shorthand.
When I correct him he says "oh yes". It's really not something that comes up very often just sometimes along the lines of "not much traffic as it's half term".

I agree, I don't get it. There are three full terms, and half way through them is half term, it's not hard...

I hear you OP!!!

Ah, fair play. I’m not from around these parts (ie Pedants’ Corner😆)