All of the businesses that I have worked for now give us either the Friday before the holiday or Monday after if it falls on a weekend. I however, have been lucky enough to have 2 weeks of vacation because my company gives me vacation days to take anytime I would like. I always take them around Christmas.
In college, we had a short winter semester that only lasted a month. I never went to this semester (many students didn't) and so I would have all of Jan and half of December off. However, those who went to this optional semester would leave school around December 16th and come back around January 3rd.
I would say though that I think Americans get the shaft on holidays. I only get 6 official holidays a year? Christmas, New Years, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Easter, and the 4th of July.
