Spring

Origins of Spring:
The word “spring” comes from the Old English “sprinc”, which means a new beginning, or new day. A long time ago, spring actually used to be the beginning of the Roman calendar, between 738 B.C. – 46 B.C. Spring is also a reference to plants growing. This year, spring starts March 20th and ends June 20th!

Spring Activities:
During springtime in Chicago, there are plenty of activities that you can do. If you are a person that does not like the weather to be too hot or too cold, these activities will be just for you!

• Picnics with your family or friends
• Plant your garden
• Take a walk around the city
• Go kayaking
• Go to festivals with your friends
• Relax in a hammock
• Camp outside

EPHS’ Favorite Spring Activities: 

• “I like to always be outside and always exploring on my bike, running, walking or doing other activities.” (Natalie Merlos)
• “Watch baseball, plant a garden” (Rose Craig)
• “Enjoy life” (Megan Derewonko)
• “Play football” (Daniel Dohoney)

3 Pros: Fresh Produce, flowers bloom, and temperatures go up.
3 Cons: Seasonal Allergies (high pollen), raining almost every day, and high number of cases of food-borne illnesses.

Overall, 22.8% of EPHS students who took our survey favor spring out of all the seasons.

Summer

Origins of Summer:
The word “summer” comes from the English word “sumor”. This word has been around for a long time, since the year 900. In Old English Literature, summer was thought of as the season of growth and fertility. In Chicago, we get full summers. Some days could be well over 90 degrees Fahrenheit or they could be really relaxing days with 70-80 degree weather. Summer in Chicago can last up to 3.5 months, from June 20th to about September 22nd!

Summer Activities:
In Chicago, there are plenty of activities that you can do. Some of these activities could be done at home or on a vacation somewhere else. If you are a summer person, we recommend you do these!

• Read while you tan
• Go to the beach
• Make a bucket list with your friends
• Have a cookout
• Go to the pool
• Travel to unique places around the Chicago-land area
• Visit animal farms
• Make a scrapbook out of all the memories from the summer
• Make a burn book

EPHS’ Favorite Summer Activities: 

• “Swim, go to the beach, hangout with friends, or go to the park.” (Alexandria Mendoza)
• “Swimming, sports, summer camps and hang out with friends.” (Kasper Radzik)
• “Go outside to the pool and get a tan and go swimming.” (Jailani Rodriguez)
• “I play tennis, go outside, go fishing, swim, have picnics, stargaze, have bonfires”  (Milana Brilyak)

3 Pros: No school, tanning, or trips to the beach.
3 Cons: Extremely hot weather, humidity, and dehydration.

On average, 33.3% of EPHS students that took our survey said they prefer summer.

Fall

Origins of Fall:
In the 1500’s, people referred to the season as “fall of the leaf”. This derived from the trees shedding their leaves for winter. Fall starts from September to November. Fall starts around September 22nd and ends November 30th. In November, once the weather begins to drop, winter is on the way.

Fall Activities:

In Chicago, there are plenty of activities that you can do to enjoy the climate. Most of these are fun with your friends and family. If you prefer, doing them alone is equally as enjoyable!

• Visit a pumpkin patch with friends or family.
• Starbucks trip to try season-limited drinks
• Haunted Houses
• Planning and preparing for Halloween
• Fright Fest at Six Flags

EPHS’ Favorite Fall Activities: 

• “The atmosphere surrounding fall is absolutely amazing. I love the leaves falling down, the perfect weather, and, of course, Halloween.” (Yeimi Alday)
• “The leaves falling signifies the beginning of the end for summer, and the weather isn’t too hot, or too cold, and it’s just a good time all around.” (Sergio Centenos)
• “Because it’s nice and the best things happen during fall. Plus the nice outfits and [I] get to wear hoodies.” (Damian Mendoza)
• “It’s perfect sweater weather, Halloween, and pumpkin themed foods like coffee and pie” (Adrian Mendoza)

3 Pros: The scenery, leaves changing color, and pumpkin flavored drinks and food.
3 Cons: Dry skin, raking leaves, and days get shorter.

Overall, 38.6% of EPHS students who took the survey prefer the fall.

Winter

Origins of Winter:
The word “winter” comes from the Old English dictionary and is related to “wet” or “water”. Winter, water, and wet also have other meanings in Germanic and Indo-European language. Winter starts around December 22nd and officially from that day on, ends around March 20th or 21st.

Winter Activities:

During the winter in the Midwest, of course it snows. Below are some things that you can do during this season.

• Go sledding
• Have a snowball fight
• Build a snowman

  

• Going to an ice-skating rink with your friends or family
• Watch Christmas movies
• Bake cookies
• Drink hot chocolate

EPHS’ Favorite Winter Activities: 

• “Build a snowman” (Brian Avila-Martinez)
• “Wrestle because wrestling season starts in winter.” (Zachery Molina)

3 Pros: Better sleep, burning calories, and not as many allergies.

3 Cons: Frostbite, really cold weather, and shorter days.

Overall, 5.3% of EPHS students who took the survey prefer winter.

Looking at the data, most of the students at EPHS prefer fall by 38.6% over any other season!

Work Cited:

Boeckmann, C. (n.d.). First Day of Spring 2024: The Spring Equinox. (March 14, 2024)  The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-spring-vernal-equinox

Breathtaking Photos of Spring Taken Around the World. (2020, May 14). Business Insider. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://www.businessinsider.com/what-spring-looks-like-around-the-world-photos-2020-5#colours-of-bavarian-spring-by-matt-cannon-8

Bryant, W. (2019, April 1). Spring: A Brief History of a Beautiful Word. Literary Hub. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://lithub.com/spring-a-brief-history-of-a-beautiful-word/

Chicago Climate, Weather By Month, Average Temperature (Illinois, United States). (n.d.). Weather Spark. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://weatherspark.com/y/14091/Average-Weather-in-Chicago-Illinois-United-States-Year-Round

Hiskey, D. (2024, February 2). The Origins of Every Season’s Name. Mental Floss. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/52813/how-did-seasons-get-their-names

McLaughlin, C. (n.d.). 30 Activities to Do This Spring. SignUpGenius. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://www.signupgenius.com/home/activities-for-spring.cfm

Summer Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, Girl Names Like Summer. (n.d.). Mama Natural. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://www.mamanatural.com/baby-names/girls/summer/

What is the best season and why? survey, March, 2024