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Growing push to make day after Super Bowl a national holiday

It's estimated that more than 16 million people plan to skip work the day after Super Bowl LVIII.
Posted at 9:25 AM, Feb 09, 2024

Online petitions pop up every year asking Congress, the president or the NFL to make the Monday after the Super Bowl a holiday. But will it ever actually come to fruition?

This year, one petition sponsored by the ice cream maker Drumstick has support from more than 5,000 people. A 2017 petition sponsored by the ketchup maker Heinz got over 70,000 signatures.

More than 100 million people are expected to watch Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. And then on Monday, an estimated 16.1 million people plan to skip work, according to research by a human resources firm.

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The effort to give football fans a recovery day has also seen some movement at the state level. In 2023, two Tennessee lawmakers proposed a bill that would replace the state’s Columbus Day holiday with a new one for the Monday after the Super Bowl.

Congress traditionally passes resolutions to congratulate the winning team. Last year it was Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri who introduced a resolution to applaud the Kansas City Chiefs for winning Super Bowl LVII. 

However, efforts to make the Monday after the game a holiday aren’t on the docket just yet. So at least for now, whether you tune in for the football or the commercials, it’s probably still a good idea to set your alarm clock for Monday morning.