On Feb. 2, 2024, the famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, indicating that spring has sprung and is coming early this year. But why has the country been listening to a groundhog since 1887?

Groundhog day originates from a German tradition established in the 19th century. As the Germans immigrated to Pennsylvania, the tradition took root in the United States. In Ashburn VA, the weather has been in many different places. Last week, the weather was in the low 40s-50s, and this week, we will be in the high 60s-70s. If the weather continues in this pattern, it affects the people who are going on vacation in March for spring break. Especially in Virginia because in the spring, many people come to D.C. to watch the popular cherry blossoms bloom.

Across the world, students’ spring breaks start around the end of March and go through the beginning of April, only lasting about a week. The most popular places for spring break travel include Cancun, Mexico, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Miami, Florida, and the Florida Keys. During the spring, temperatures at these locations rise due to their geographical position in the southern hemisphere, which attracts lots of tourists and crowds. 

Companies understand that these are the ideal spring destinations, so airlines up their prices for flights there by a lot. It could be $120 to fly to Miami, Florida in the winter but $650 in the summer. A good idea is to start buying tickets now in advance so one does not have to deal with airports raising their prices. Even if a location is not a popular vacation place, like Missouri for example, the airlines will still raise their prices. The reason they do this is because Missouri is a very popular vacation place in the winter, and if people prefer winter weather conditions over those of  summer, they may go to Missouri for summer break because it is mostly in the northern hemisphere and it will not be as hot, even though it is spring at the same time.

Ekaterina Lynes, a 9th grader at BWHS, shares her favorite vacation spot that she goes to every spring. “I prefer going to the beach in Delaware, it’s nice and warm up there during the spring so it’s perfect,” she says.

Jason Hall, a Regional manager at Onelife fitness, says “ I love going to the beach but I would rather save that for the summer!” Overall, many other people have given their opinion and they all love going to the beach or staying home.