Here is what I've said in another post:

I've worked for the same place now for over 22 years and the philosophy here has always been your earned the vacation so you need to take it. They limit the number of days we can carry over to try and force you to take it. I've never had a manager deny me vacation. On some critical projects I've been asked to shift my days and if I can't, I work with one of my colleges to get them up to speed to take over while I'm gone.

Two weeks of vacation is not enough time for the entire year. I have 25 days now and I use them all each year. That's one of the things I think about when I do get frustrated and think of leaving. I know I won't get that from the start any where else.

If the place you work at would crumble if you took a vacation, I would find a different job. You have either made the situation that way or you don't have competent coworkers.

Life is to short not to take your vacation.

That's 25 days plus national holidays and about 600 hours of sick time. As I said above, hearing what others are getting for vacation time keeps me here.

I do think you need to take two weeks off in a row to truly disconnect and recharge, I only learned that over the last two years.

I should have said some major holidays(New Years, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving + day after, Christmas).