Super Bowl Sunday, America’s unofficial holiday, will be on Feb. 2. The 54th annual Super Bowl (Super Bowl LIV) will be at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida where the Kansas City Chiefs will play the San Francisco 49ers.
BYU will have a winner regardless of the Super Bowl outcome, with 49ers linebacker Fred Warner and Chiefs safety Daniel Sorensen both being former BYU football players.
History and Name of the Super Bowl
According to USA Today Sports, the name of the Super Bowl used to be the “AFL-NFL World Championship Game,” but by the third annual game, Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt changed the name to Super Bowl after a toy called a “Super Ball” that his daughter played with.
The first Super Bowl was held on Jan. 15, 1967, at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, where the Green Bay Packers played the Kansas City Chiefs. The Packers won 35-10. According to History.com, ticket prices for the first game were $12. On the NFL ticket website, tickets to this year’s Super Bowl start at $4,462.
Food Consumption on the “Unofficial Holiday”
According to UFCW.org, Super Bowl Sunday is the “second highest day of food consumption” in the United States aside from Thanksgiving. Chips and dips, wings and pizza are some of the popular foods consumed by Americans on the unofficial holiday.
BYU sophomore Belén Gollaher said her family has a “dip buffet” where everyone gets together and makes a bunch of different dips.
“My dad makes a really good sausage dip, it’s like a white cream sausage dip,” Gollaher said.
BYU student Maddy Swallow said her mom makes queso every year in tradition of the Super Bowl.
BYU student Keegan Peterson said his family always has seven layer dip and guacamole, but his favorite thing to eat for the Super Bowl is the chicken wings.
“I look forward to the Super Bowl every year mainly for the food,” Peterson said.
Super Bowl Culture and Traditions
History.com says the Super Bowl has become a “unique shared experience in American culture.”
Even if people don’t like football, a lot of Americans use it as an excuse to gather together, eat food and watch the famous commercials.
BYU student Nate Medsker said his favorite part of the Super Bowl is spending time with people and eating “good food.”
“I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of football, but we just have everyone to chill. I invite my ministering people and everything as a social event,” Medsker said.
BYU freshman Madison Hafen said her favorite part of the Super Bowl is the commercials.
“I didn’t usually watch it very often with my family, but sometimes I’d just go down and watch the commercials cause that was the best part to me,” Hafen said.
BYU student Spencer Kimball said watching the the Super Bowl with family and friends is a good time.
“My mom hates watching TV on Sundays, but the only exception was the Super Bowl for some reason. She didn’t even care about football, but we’d all watch it together,” Kimball said. “She just likes hosting big parties, so she’d always make a ton of food.”
