Easter. The Pagan festival that celebrated the beginning of spring by honoring Eastre, the Teutonic goddess of the season. Now more commonly known as a Christian holiday.

The purpose of Easter may have changed over time, but at its roots, the holiday is still a celebration of renewal, and it’s often associated with the uplifting, cleansing environment of springtime. We use this time to appreciate our loved ones and a vital part of Christianity– the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But this year we only have one single day to do this, before heading back to school on Monday, Apr. 22.

And that’s exactly the problem. School districts pick a random week in early spring to hold our annual break, not taking into consideration the fact that some people still take the time to value religion. See, Easter usually falls somewhere between Mar. 22 and Apr. 25; the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. On the surface, it seems like an annual, spontaneous surprise. But it’s really not that hard to plan for; you can literally look up the date of Easter for any year in the future if you’re that diligent of a planner. Yet apparently for our school district, it’s just too challenging to align spring break with Easter Sunday.

Spring Break, the break of spring. The time where you forget what day it is and a sleep schedule does not exist anymore, one of the most popular breaks of the year. Many people will go out of town for break but if you plan on staying around, there’s plenty of fun to do within our county that will keep you busy all of spring break.

1. Go to the beach: You really can never go wrong with the beach, it doesn’t get old. Honestly, nothing is better than laying out a huge blanket, jamming to some music and tanning (or burning because some people aren’t that lucky) with some friends. What’s a vacation without the beach?

2. Go surfing: Or learn how to, if you haven’t yet. Put aside the fears of sharks and deep water and go try to surf. California is famous for surf spots and there will always be people willing to teach you. Surfing allows one to create a new love for the ocean and overall get a new perspective on nature.

3. Go camping: Bonfires, s’mores, hammocking and more, camping is a great way to get away from regular daily life and to truly unplug for a bit. Going camping isn’t just about going outside, it’s about finding a new appreciation for nature and the world around you.

4. Go to the Flower Fields: Open for about 6 to 8 weeks in the spring, the flower fields showcase a variety of beautiful, vibrant flowers spanning across 55 acres. Visitors can enjoy multiple activities such as tractor rides, mazes, the greenhouse, rose garden and more.

5. Go to La Jolla: La Jolla shores is a popular beach known for it’s breathtaking views, seals and mysterious caves in the middle of the sea. There is a wide variety of activities to do such as snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking and more.

6. Go to the Carlsbad Farmers Market: Open every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., the Carlsbad Farmers Market on State Street has a variety of booths selling things anywhere from baked goods to organic fruits and drinks.

7. Go to the Oceanside Sunset Market: Every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Oceanside Sunset Market is a great place to spend the evening eating food and shopping while listening to live music from local bands.

8. Ride the coaster around SoCal: Buy a train ticket and just go adventure around the county. The coaster can take you anywhere from Oceanside all the way to Santa Fe Depot.

9. Go to the lagoon: With a variety of water sports equipment to rent for the day, the Carlsbad Lagoon is full of endless fun whether it be jet skiing, trying to stay up on a paddle board or kayaking.

10. Just relax: Put on some pjs, make some comfort food and just lay in bed all day and binge watch your favorite Netflix shows. Don’t feel pressured to HAVE to go do something during break, staying inside in the comfort of your own home is always the way to go.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Courtesy of Megan Wilson

Junior Megan Wilson traveled to Texas with her sister to tour colleges.

Spring break is the perfect opportunity to spend time with friends and family, travel to foreign countries, or simply stay at home and relax. Many Carlsbad High School students took their time off from school to prepare for the rest of the school year as well as spend quality time doing things they enjoy.

With the weather finally starting to warm up, some students took to the local beaches to destress after their hard work so far this semester. Junior Rhyen Pilkington had no plans to travel during the break, so she visited the beach with her friends instead.

“I’m not going anywhere over spring break, but I plan to just go to the beach,” Pilkington said. “I’m excited for the warm weather. I chose to go to the beach because it’s beautiful and peaceful and I can see all the lovely people.”

While many people enjoy staying at home during their vacation, others will be travelling the world. Freshman McKenna Hollenbeck and senior Nina Accardi are leaving the country to experience different cultures during their break.

“For spring break I am going to Arenal, Costa Rica with my younger brother, mom, and stepdad,” Hollenbeck said. “This was a last minute trip that my mom put together [because] our family has always wanted to go.”

Hollenbeck will be participating in many different activities while in Costa Rica in order to get the most out of her family vacation. Although the trip was planned last minute, Hollenbeck is excited for everything that is in store for her and her family.

“While in Costa Rica, my family and I plan to go zip lining, white water rafting and camping in the jungle,” Hollenbeck said. “I’m most looking forward to holding a sloth because they are adorable.”

Some students took a break from school entirely to travel to Mexico for a vacation with family and friends. Among the group of students was Accardi who traveled to Rocky Point, Mexico for a few days this spring break.

“My boyfriend’s family was one of the families going, so when they invited me I was super excited,” Accardi said. “I plan to sit on the beach and just relax, [as well as] ride horses on the beach.”

Another student who traveled was sophomore Grace Mills. She spent her time off school with her family and friends in Joshua Tree, California hiking among other activities.

“This spring break I traveled to Joshua Tree with my dad and our family friends,” Mills said. “We hiked Ryan Mountain and afterwards we helped clean up the park.”

While many students take this break as an opportunity to travel and take a break from their studies, several students, including senior Audrey Williams and junior Megan Wilson, spent their spring break looking into colleges and touring some that they were interested in.

“[During spring break], I plan to hang out with friends, do scholarship applications and visit colleges,” Williams said. “I will be visiting UCSB and UCLA. I chose to do this during spring break because most colleges are in session [since] they have different breaks than us. I will be able to get an accurate idea of what the college is like without having to miss school.”

Wilson had already planned a trip to see her extended family in Texas and Oklahoma. In order to see some colleges that were not so close to home, she planned a visit to several colleges in the Midwest to explore her options.

“[My family and I are] going to go on a few college visits to UT at Arlington and the University of Oklahoma and watch softball games at both schools,” Wilson said. “I am most looking forward to spending time with my grandparents because I don’t get to see them very often so we make the most out of the time we get together.”

As spring break comes to a close, students appreciate the chance to take a week off and prepare for the last few months of school because they have time to destress and refocus for the upcoming months before summer.

“Spring break is a great way to refresh before the end of the school year,” Mills said. “It allows the students to re-energize and not become burned out on school.”