It is of interest at this time to compare the duration of the present vacations with those of former years. No mention is made of vacations in the first Harvard Annual, which appeared in 1819. But in the "Catalogue of the Officers and Students of the University in Cambridge," issued in 1823, it is stated that commencement was on the last Wednesday in August, that the summer vacation lasted a little over four weeks from commencement, and that the winter vacation was for seven weeks from the fourt Friday in December. In the spring two weeks were given, beginning with the third Friday in May. In 1825 the catalogue stated that the academic year was divided into three terms and three vacations. The first vacation was of two weeks from the Wednesday preceding the twenty-fifth day of December, the second of two weeks from the first Wednesday in April, and the third embraced the six weeks next preceding commencement, which was on the last Wednesday in August.

In 1838 a radical change was made. The year was then divided into two terms and two vacations. The terms were of twenty weeks each and the vacations each six weeks. Beginning in 1849 a recess of four days in each term was allowed when the students could be away from college. In that year also provision was made whereby meritorious students whose circumstances required it might at the discretion of the faculty be absent for a limited time, not exceeding thirteen weeks including the winter vacation, for the purpose of keeping school. In 1852, the commencement day was changed to the third Wednesday in July, and the winter vacation made seven instead of six weeks. The winter vacation was reduced to four weeks in 1865 and the summer one increased to eight, and in 1869 to ten weeks.

The change to the present arrangement occurred in 1870, when the Christmas recess lasted from December 24 to January 6, inclusive, and the summer vacation lasted thirteen weeks. Also in this year the privilege of being absent to keep school was rescinded. In 1877 four days were cut off from the Christmas vacation, making it end as at present on January 2. May 30 was not observed as a holiday until 1885, and the 22d of February not until 1889.

This year Yale's Christmas vacation extends from December 22 to January 9, Princeton's from December 20 to January 3, and Columbia's from December 24 to January 7.