Spring break dates back to the 20th century, a very exciting time in our history. The 19th amendment was revised, giving females the right to vote. The Equal Rights Act was passed, stating “Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction.” And with that, females students entered the higher education system.
During spring, well-to-do college kids fled their academic campuses, and took to the coast for a few days of co-ed interaction. It was probably a wild time!
The first olympic-sized swimming pool was built in Florida in the 30’s, which drove hundreds of collegiate swimmers to the sunny state.
By the 60’s, the Fort Lauderdale “spring break” tradition had grown so large that it inspired the movie Where The Boys Are. Groovy!
In true 70’s style, spring break took a turn for the raunchy, more closely resembling traditions of today. The city of Fort Lauderdale grew tired of the antics every year, and enforced stricter laws during the 80’s, so college kids found new places to party.
The annual excursion became a household term in the mid 80’s, thanks to everyone’s favorite music television station – MTV’s Spring Break was born! I remember being a kid, watching No Doubt perform at MTV’s Spring Break ’96 and telling my dad, “I can’t wait until I can go to that!” (My parents did everything in their power to prohibit my early onset YOLO attitude, so I never made it.)
Spring break destinations have expanded since the tradition started. From domestic spots like Daytona Beach and Panama City, to international getaways like the Caribbean and Mexico, travel agencies market their Spring Break specials heavily to the 18-22 year old population.
But before you go, you’re gonna want to look the part. Fully embrace that week of summer, before you hit the books hard to finish out the semester and get to the real summer. Let us help!
Got any exciting spring break plans? Comment and share yours!
