In Italy we get two off for Christmas - Christmas Day and Santo Stefano (boxing day) on the 26th.  But it's really 2 1/2 because everything -offices, shops etc etc -shuts down several hours early on Christmas Eve.

Plus of course half the country takes a few days' vacation leave from their annual total to make up the BIG ponte/puente from the 24th through New Year.  This year both the 24th and the 31st are Sundays, meaning that if you don't normally have to work saturdays, it will take only 3 days' vacation leave to get a straight 10-day stretch off work... not bad.    

"Ignoring moralities is always undesirable, but doing so systematically is really worrisome." Mohammed Khatami