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were working and had two-week vacations.

SCHOOL VACATIONS

American schoolchildren and high school and university
students get more vacation time than anybody else in the United
States. Schools tend to close at the end of May or early in June, and
they don't open again until the end of August or early September.
Labor Day, on the first Monday in September, traditionally marks
the end of summer and the start of the school year.
All of this leaves children with up to three months out of
school and not much to do. Many parents send their children to
camp, a place that provides basic food and shelter in attractive
outdoor settings. There, children can swim, hike, play sports, and
do arts and crafts. Some camps are based around a particular
activity, such as horseback riding, tennis, or drama. Some kids
attend local day camps, places that organize activities for them, but
in the same place where they live. Families with younger children
will usually make an effort to go somewhere together during the
summer, even if the children have been at camp.

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

Americans use a variety of methods to organize their vacations,
such as contacting travel agencies or going directly to the airlines or
hotels by phone or on the Internet. Unless they are going
somewhere very unfamiliar, Americans don't usually buy prepaid
vacation packages.

GLOSSARY OF AMERICAN TERMS

Columbus Day
October 12, but usually observed on the second Monday in
October. It celebrates Christopher Columbus's discovery of the
New World in 1492.