Holidays are, in principle, a good opportunity to enjoy leisure time with a partner that is usually scarce the rest of the year. Those who are in crisis, also tend to see them as an opportunity to fix problems. But expectations are not always met. In fact, it is at the end of the summer when many couples decide to end their relationship. A trend that is supported by a new study presented at the annual congress of the American Sociological Association held in Seattle (USA) until August 23. According to this research, based on data from the state of Washington, most divorce requests are filed in March and August, coinciding with the end of the summer holidays. "They face the holidays with great expectations, despite the disappointments they have had in previous years," says Julie Brines, a sociology professor at the University of Washington and lead author of the study. The holiday period, argue the authors, can increase emotional burden and stress in couples who were already going through a previous crisis, triggering the revelation of hidden cracks in a marriage.