Why students get such a long winter holiday

Before the 1970s, college students got only a two week vacation for Christmas and the New Year, and took exams after the break. But in the 1970s when the economy was going into hell and most schools found themselves in a financial squeeze, the administrators realized they could save money by closing school down for a month in the winter. That way, they could cut costs on heating at a time when oil prices soared.