One of the largest annual sporting events to grace the American TV screen (drum roll please), the Super Bowl. It is considered by many as something of a national holiday. And as with any holiday, there are those who love it and others who don’t quite see the appeal.

Maybe you’re the extra friend who squeezes in between their four friends on a three-seater couch to cheer for their favorite team. Or you could be one of the cunning shoppers who take advantage of the now less-crowded public spaces to get a little extra shopping done.

Personally, I enjoy a more casual viewing of the event. You won’t catch me painting my face anytime soon, however, I’ve done my fair share of yelling at players to “Look at him! He’s wide open!”

It’s worth mentioning that the majority of people I’ve met enjoy some aspect of the Super Bowl; the advertisements, the half-time show and the actual sport offer a variety of entertainment that appeals to a majority of the populace. However, there will always be those who don’t find the “hype” to be all that well-deserved. I’ve heard my mom call it the “peak of American commercialism” many times, trust me. And admittedly, it’s true that watching the Super Bowl means signing up for commercials aplenty. There’s no denying that.

But let it be said that the event holds nothing if not entertainment value. Whether or not you know how many points come from a touch-down, you can still enjoy Maroon 5 or Lady Gaga.

Not to mention the abundance of food. I know there are people who enjoy this event just because Mom will make her world famous nachos or Dad will let them break into the family stash of Dr. Pepper. I don’t know any person alive who would turn down football-shaped sugar cookies. Even if you aren’t into the junk food scene, you have to admit that the spread of various chips and soda bottles is colorful above all else.

The best part to me, though, is the getting together with others to enjoy the game. If you sat me down in front of the TV to watch by myself, I guarantee I would lose interest in five minutes or so. But if I was there with my friends or family? I could watch for hours, even if just to yell at the TV.

According to Statista, 46 percent of people watch the Super Bowl either at a party or bar as opposed to watching at home. Each person has their own preferences, but I actually find that I look forward to the party over the game itself when I think of the Super Bowl.

Maybe you don’t enjoy the halftime performances or the seemingly endless stream of commercials that flicker across the screen. Maybe football just isn’t your thing. But even my mom, who has assured me many times that she can’t watch football and definitely can’t stand the “ridiculous” commercials, still enjoys a good Super Bowl party.

And I think we can all acknowledge that there seems to be quite a divide across the nation each time the Super Bowl rolls around. Fans on the sides of their respective team always seem to be content with arguing over why their team is just going to beat the others into the dust.

Most of the time, it’s all in good fun, I’ll agree. But I’ve definitely seen a couple of arguments that got a little too heated to be friendly. So let’s all try to remember that as much as we all love to get decked out in gear for our respective teams, the Super Bowl game is just that: a game.

No matter whether you were rooting for the Rams or the Patriots, we all did the same thing on the day of the Super Bowl: yell at a referee or two, or accidentally knock over a soda can in our excitement (it happens to the best of us). A massive football game is a bit of an odd thing to unite us as a nation, but it unites us nonetheless.

Though some might scoff at the idea of huddling excitedly around a TV to watch guys running around with a ball in their arms, the Super Bowl can be more than just that.

It’s getting together with friends and family to enjoy good food, a sometimes-exciting game and the precious few seconds of “Sweet Victory” before the more-than-disappointing segue into “SICKO MODE.”