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Spring holidays take on different meanings across the globe, from religious observances to cultural celebrations that welcome the season or mark the end of winter. For students studying or interning abroad in the spring semester, it’s the perfect time to start the new year with immersive experiences that broaden your worldview, while earning academic credit or building your resume.
Let’s dive into some fun holidays you can enjoy this spring semester during a study abroad or international internship program with AIFS Abroad!
Semana Santa — Costa Rica and Spain
Semana Santa, also called Holy Week or Easter Week, is one of the most important holidays in Costa Rica and Spain. Celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, this holiday begins on Palm Sunday and ends the following Sunday on Easter.
In towns and cities across Spain, Semana Santa brings impressive religious processions, cultural celebrations, and dramatic reenactments of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. It’s not only a chance to witness elaborately decorated floats and costumed participants parading through the streets—it’s also an opportunity to enjoy regional delicacies and experience Spain’s rich traditions through both sight and taste.
Businesses and schools close for Semana Santa across the country, allowing many Costa Ricans to spend time with their families and honor this holiday. As Costa Rica’s capital and largest urban center, San José is the perfect place to watch these festivities come to life and observe meaningful cultural activities. On Holy Thursday and Good Friday, you can watch religious processions featuring unique costumes, large floats, and music, all while soaking in the lively culture the country is famous for.
Fête du Travail (Labor Day) — France
Some form of Labor Day—a holiday dedicated to recognizing workers’ rights—is celebrated in many countries across the world. In France, this May 1 holiday includes festivities you can’t get anywhere else.
In cities across the country, such as Paris, Grenoble, and Cannes, marches, demonstrations, and celebrations signal the arrival of Fête du Travail, also called May Day. Throughout these cities, you’ll see vendors selling lily of the valley, a symbol of workers’ rights to eight hours of work, leisure, and sleep. Study or intern abroad in France this spring and breathe in sweet floral fragrances as you roam city streets and watch the country blossom with life and national pride.
Walpurgis Night — Czech Republic and Germany
Walpurgis Night, also known as May Day, is a traditional holiday celebrated on April 30 and May 1 in several European countries, including the Czech Republic and Germany. This holiday celebrates spring, and the festivities involve creating loud noises, dressing in costumes, and hanging sprigs of foliage from houses and barns to ward off evil spirits. While the specific traditions may vary from country to country, they generally involve merrymaking on the night of April 30 that carries over into the next day.
Study or intern abroad in Prague, and you can gather in this historic city with locals as they play games, drink festive beverages, roast sausages, and build large bonfires to burn effigies and celebrate the holiday.
Celebrations of Walpurgis Night in Berlin are similar, with the city’s famous nightlife taking on a new dimension as people gather to attend fire shows, listen to music, and “dance into May.”
St. Patrick’s Day — Ireland
St. Patrick’s Day is Ireland’s most famous holiday, which is celebrated each year on March 17. It commemorates the patron Saint of Ireland, who brought Christianity to the country nearly sixteen hundred years ago. While the holiday has religious origins, for many people it is a day to embrace Irish culture and enjoy fun festivities.
Head to Temple Bar in Dublin for an unforgettable scene, where people from all around the world come together to celebrate—many of whom are decked out in green clothing and even green, white, and orange face paint, the colors of their national flag. While Dublin is best known for its St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, no matter where you go in Ireland, you can join in on St. Patrick’s Day during the spring semester. For example, if you’re more interested in local traditions and a community-focused parade in a smaller city, Galway, dubbed the Cultural Heart of Ireland, is an excellent place to take part in celebrations.
Fallas — Valencia, Spain
The Fallas of Valencia, a UNESCO heritage festival, takes place from March 1–19 and blends tradition, satire, and artistry into an amazing celebration like no other. The festival marks the arrival of spring with lively music, dazzling pyrotechnic displays, religious ceremonies, and the iconic Fallas—massive sculptural monuments that are dramatically burned on the final night.
Spending a spring semester in Valencia gives you the chance to experience this spectacular event firsthand, as the city bursts to life with color, energy, and visitors from around the world.
Buddha’s Birthday — South Korea
This holiday celebrates the birth, life, and enlightenment of Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism, who created teachings aimed at helping people achieve Nirvana, or spiritual enlightenment. As one of South Korea’s major religions, Buddha’s Birthday is an important religious holiday that occurs on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, which usually falls around mid-May.
This is a public holiday in South Korea, so many people have the day off in order to join in the celebrations and honor the life of Buddha. While many events occur in the day leading up to Buddha’s Birthday, the main event is the lotus lantern festival—a parade of costumed participants marching through the streets with glowing paper lotus lanterns. For the biggest lotus lantern festival in the country, along with plenty of other cultural activities, study abroad in Seoul during spring semester!
Freedom Day — South Africa
Freedom Day in South Africa commemorates the first elections held on April 27, 1994, after the end of Apartheid, a nationwide system of institutionalized racial segregation. Freedom Day is a day to remember the tumultuous history of South Africa’s apartheid and to celebrate the progress and sacrifices made by patriots who paved the way for a democratic and free South Africa.
As with all towns and cities across South Africa on this holiday, Stellenbosch honors this tradition with a range of celebrations, street parties, cultural performances, and other community events. If you’re interested in joining in larger celebrations while you study abroad in Stellenbosch, you can travel to the major metropolitan area of Cape Town, which is just an hour away!
Carnival — Argentina, Portugal, Italy, and Spain
Carnival is a colorful, spirited holiday that marks the beginning of Lent. It usually happens in late February or early March, making it an excellent way to start off your spring semester study or intern abroad experience! It often features dancing, music, lots of costumes, and parades throughout the streets. While this holiday is celebrated in multiple countries around the world, we’ll discuss a few of the most popular ones below, and what makes them different in each destination.
Argentina
Initially introduced during Spain’s colonization in the 1600s, Argentines draw inspiration from Spanish heritage and traditions, while adapting them to create their own unique spin on the holiday. Go to Buenos Aires during Carnival to experience the upbeat rhythms of Argentine culture and to witness local murga performances—musical theater performances that take to the streets with drumming, dancing, and unique costumes.
Portugal
Carnival in Portugal is celebrated a little differently depending on where you are in the country. Study or intern abroad in Lisbon to enjoy a more traditional celebration, featuring large parades, elaborate costumes, and parties throughout the streets. In Torres Vedras, you can see satirical parades highlighting large caricatures of political figures. Go to the village of Macedo de Cavaleiros to see Caretos, a folk tradition that involves locals donning striking yellow, red, and green costumes made from fringe and running and shouting through the streets as they swing their metal rattles—it’s a one-of-a-kind experience!
Spain
Spain’s Carnival varies widely by region as well, but cities like Sitges (near Barcelona) and Cádiz are known for some of the country’s most exuberant celebrations—Sitges is famous for its LGBTQ+ inclusivity, while Cádiz leans into satire and comedy. Students studying or interning abroad in Spain during the spring semester will find nearby festivities featuring parades, costume parties, and music lasting late into the night, no matter which city they’re in. Wherever you are, it’s an incredible time to soak up Spanish culture through celebration.
Italy
While Venice is world-famous for its elaborate masquerade balls, cities like Florence, Milan, and Rome embrace the season with local parades, musical performances, and traditional treats like chiacchiere (fried pastries). Students studying or interning abroad in Italy during Carnevale can expect bursts of color and culture throughout city streets, offering a fun and festive way to experience Italian tradition beyond the classroom.
Discover spring holidays around the world with AIFS Abroad!
Study or intern abroad in spring with AIFS Abroad and experience unique seasonal festivities to expand your cultural horizons and celebrate with locals. With AIFS Abroad’s valuable program inclusions, such as coordinating your housing to providing things like trips and excursions, comprehensive insurance, 24/7 emergency support, on-site staff, and cultural and social activities, you’ll take comfort in knowing you’ll have support throughout your entire experience abroad this spring!