This year, students enjoyed time off from Thursday, March 28 to Monday, April 1. From traveling, spending time with family and celebrating the holiday, Villanovans certainly made the most out of these five days.
Spring Break was only two and a half weeks prior to this break. However, students still appreciated the opportunity to relax, especially with final papers and exams looming.
“[Easter] Break was much needed to get away from the stress of school and mentally prepare for the last month of the semester,” sophomore Natalie Zickel said.
Others were grateful to see their loved ones again.
“Easter means a lot to my family, and I know they would have been sad if I were not able to go home and be with them for the holiday,” sophomore Elisabeth Roche said.
While many Villanovans recharged at home, some, like sophomore Kelsey Hearns, took the opportunity to travel.
“I [went] to Chicago to see extended family,” Hearns said.
In addition, sophomore Madeline Okenquist traded rainy sidewalks for sunny shores.
“My family and I went to Puerto Rico for a few days,” Okenquist said. “We went to a local church to celebrate the holiday…Easter is an important holiday to me, as I am Catholic.”
Since Villanova is a Catholic university, many students like Okenquist observe Easter to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“My family’s Easter traditions are going to Mass together in the morning and then gathering for dinner,” Hearns said. “To me, the holiday means spending time with family and celebrating our faith.”
“[Easter] marks a celebratory time both for religious context and as we head into spring and the warmer months,” Roche said.
In addition to religious observances, many Villanovans engaged in lighthearted traditions like egg hunts and candy baskets. College students may have outgrown their childhood Easter outfits, but they are never too old for nostalgia.
“My aunt likes to set up an Easter egg hunt for all of the cousins, which is always so fun,” Okenquist said.
Roche also enjoyed a tradition from her youth.
“My mom still makes my brother and I Easter baskets, which is really cute,” she said.
This year, Zickel helped make the holiday special for her siblings.
“My brother is still pretty young, so after the [church] service, we went hunting for our Easter baskets around the house,” she said. “I had helped my mom pick out my sibling’s treats, so it was rewarding seeing their excitement when they found their baskets.”
Based on these experiences, it is clear that Villanovans had a delightful Easter Break. Now that the festivities are over, the University has returned to normal capacity. Students can be seen laughing over coffee in the Connelly Center or bent over textbooks in Falvey Library. And in exciting news, campus is starting to show hints of spring, from blossoming trees to budding flowers.
There is only a month left of classes, so the busiest time of the year is here. Villanovans will soon be immersed in preparing for exams, celebrating with friends and packing up their dorms.
With students’ to-do lists getting longer, one thing is for sure: Easter Break was much needed.
