It may be a treasured holiday for any Guinness lover, but St. Patrick’s Day is not a real holiday in the United States… and Guinness wants to change that!

Proposition 3-17 is a campaign by the folks at Guinness to get Congress to recognize this day so we have a slightly more acceptable excuse for showing up hungover at work. They’re looking for 1,000,000 signatures by March 16th, 2008.

The complete text of the petition:

With nine times more Irish-Americans in this country than there are people in all of Ireland, never before has the Irish Spirit been so alive. Come St. Patrick’s Day, that spirit is even more pronounced as everyone reveals a little bit of their Irish side. From the camaraderie in the streets to the joy pulsating in their hearts, people from all nationalities and backgrounds bask in the glory that is Irish.

That is why Guinness and the undersigned, present Proposition 3-17 which hereby requests that St. Patrick’s Day be made an official holiday not only to officially commemorate the spirit of this day, but to celebrate and honor St. Patrick himself. A man once known for driving snakes out of Ireland, St. Patrick now embodies the pride and strength in all who are Irish and in Irish enthusiasts alike. March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, is a widely celebrated holiday in the US. Not only Irish Americans, but an ever-growing community of people in America from all races, creeds and weltanschauungs partake in the day’s festivities.

Guinness and Proposition 3-17 supporters believe that a regulated, official holiday would not only reduce the amount of employees missing work in order to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but officially allow people to express their Irishness. Guinness and Proposition 3-17 believers strongly urge you to consider making this day official so that it can be observed and celebrated annually by all Americans for generations to come, when not only our nation, but nation’s around the world, will join together to enjoy the parades and fellowship and a pint of Guinness stout or two.

You can sign the petition by texting “SIGN” to 65579 or by visiting http://proposition317.com. You must be 21 or older to vote.