Super Bowl Sunday

For other uses, see Super Bowl Sunday (disambiguation).

Super Bowl Sunday is the day on which the Super Bowl, the National Football League (NFL)'s annual championship game, is played. It was the first Sunday in February from Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 until Super Bowl LV in 2021, but is now the second Sunday, beginning with Super Bowl LVI. Festivities typically involve groups of people gathering to watch the game.^[1]

Super Sunday
United States Air Force Super Bowl Party.
Official name	Super Sunday
Also called	Super Bowl Sunday
Observed by	United States, Canada, and international
Date	Second Sunday in February
2023 date	February 12  (2023-02-12)
2024 date	February 11  (2024-02-11)
2025 date	February 9  (2025-02-09)
2026 date	February 8  (2026-02-08)
Frequency	Annual
First time	1967

Festivities

Although not an official holiday, many families and friends gather together to watch the game, including those who are not normally football fans.^[2][3] Although sports bars have been busy in the past, it is becoming more common for people to watch the game from home due to the increasing size of televisions as well as to save money.^[4][5]

Because watching the Super Bowl is so popular, stores are often empty of shoppers during the game, particularly in the regions represented by the two teams playing,^[6] and water usage drops, with significant rises in use during halftime and after the game, as fans use the bathroom.^[7] Churches sometimes cancel afternoon or evening services, hold football-themed charity drives, or deliver sermons designed to appeal to male members of the congregation.^[8][9][10]

NFL executives have called for a three-day weekend in order to allow fans to celebrate the event, and there is thought to be a loss of productivity in the American work force on Monday after the event.^[11][12] The television network carrying the game (either CBS, Fox, ABC, or NBC) will usually devote the entire day's programming schedule to the game, with extended pregame shows, NFL Films retrospectives of the previous season, and special versions of the Sunday morning talk shows in the morning and afternoon hours leading into the game. Competing networks, due to the severe loss of viewers to the Super Bowl festivities and a gentlemen's agreement not to compete against the game (most cable and broadcast networks are owned by a limited number of companies, most of which hold NFL rights), generally resort to low-cost counterprogramming measures like the Puppy Bowl.^[13]

Alternative football leagues have, especially since the Pro Bowl moved to the week before the Super Bowl, frequently begun their seasons the weekend following Super Bowl Sunday to capitalize on football fans seeking more football after the end of the NFL season. Examples include the Arena Football League from 2002 to 2006, Alliance of American Football in 2019, Fan Controlled Football in 2021, and all incarnations of the XFL to date, including 2001, 2020 and 2023.

Food

 

Cakes bearing the logos of the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots ahead of Super Bowl LIII

Large amounts of food and alcohol are consumed.^[11][14][15] It is the second-largest food consumption event in the United States, behind Thanksgiving dinner,^[16] and some police departments have noticed a dramatic increase in drunk driving.^[15]

Food is usually served buffet style, rather than as a sit-down meal. Foods traditionally eaten include buffalo wings, chili, baby back ribs, dipping sauces, pizza, and potato chips.^[16][17] Many pizza delivery businesses see their order numbers double and 28 million pounds (13,000 t) of chips, 1.25 billion chicken wings and 8 million pounds (3,600 t) of guacamole are consumed.^[17][18]

References

1. The Super – Trademark – Bowl. American University
2. Stellino, Vito (February 6, 2010). "Super Sunday feels like a holiday". The Florida Times Union. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
3. Gay, Jason (February 4, 2016). "Should the Super Bowl Be a Holiday?". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
4. Jargon, Julie (February 3, 2011). "Sports Bars Play Super Bowl Defense". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
5. Halls, Sarah (February 5, 2011). "Where to Watch the Super Bowl in Europe". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
6. Bollier, Jeff (February 6, 2011). "Oshkosh shuts down for Packers, Super Bowl". The Northwestern. Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
7. Calder, Rich (February 9, 2012). "Toilet Bowl XLVI". New York Post. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
8. "Some churches cancel Super Sunday services". The Victoria Advocate. Victoria, Texas. Associated Press. February 3, 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
9. Draper, Electa (February 5, 2011). "Some preachers use Super Bowl to put focus on harm of pornography". Dever Post. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
10. Kloosterman, Stephen (February 6, 2011). "Churches see Super Bowl as a time to connect with worshippers". Holland Sentinel. Holland, Michigan. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
11. Flint, Joe (February 4, 2011). "NFL has made Super Bowl Sunday into a holiday, is a three-day weekend the next step?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
12. Riccobono, Anthony (February 1, 2015). "Should The Monday After The Super Bowl Be A National Holiday?". International Business Times. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
13. Ryzik, Melena (February 2, 2008). "Just Fine as Tackles, but They Can't Pass". The New York Times. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
14. Deford, Frank (January 28, 2009). "Super Bowl Sunday is a holiday". CNN. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
15. Zellermayer, J (February 6, 2011). "Super Bowl Sunday drunk driving crackdown". WGN-TV. Associated Press. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
16. Corwin, Tom (February 5, 2011). "Super Bowl party food need not send diets crashing". The Augusta Chronicle. Augusta, Georgia. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
17. Lynott, Jerry (February 1, 2011). "Score super snacks". The Times Leader. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
18. Edge, Lisa (February 4, 2011). "Super Sunday means big business for food industry". WPDE. Retrieved February 6, 2011.