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This article is about vacation as time off. For the movie, see National Lampoon's Vacation.
Vacation is a term used in North America to describe
time away from work or school, or also a trip abroad. In the rest of the English-speaking world the word "holiday" is used. In Canada both terms are widely used. The French term is similar to the American English:
"Les Vacances". The term derives from the fact that, in the past, upper-class families would literally move to a summer home for
part of the year, leaving their usual family home vacant.
Most countries around the world have labour laws mandating a certain number of days of time off per year to be given to a
worker. In Canada the legal minimum is two weeks, in most of Europe the limit is
significantly higher. Many American companies give only one week, and then frequently only after completion of a year of
employment.
In modern employment practice, vacation days are usually coupled with sick time, official holidays, and sometimes
personal days.
See also: Tourism
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