I just remembered my favorite vacation story. I used to work at a place called PRC that had a "menu" benefits system. You could buy extra vacation but it cost a reduction in your paycheck. Or if you had vacation left over, they did not force you to take it the way some places do, you could sell vacation days and get paid for them. So I would buy vacation days, get a raise, and then sell vacation days back at the higher price.
Edit: Also, do you guys in other countries call vacation "holiday"? (I don't really like either term.)