BILOXI, Miss. — The city of Biloxi has sparked a debate about the holiday honoring the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. after announcing on social media that city offices would be closed Monday for "Great Americans Day."

Monday is federally recognized as Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Advertisement:

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2jbCH5z ) Great Americans Day doesn't exist as a holiday and is not even recognized by the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office. However, Biloxi City Council passed an ordinance in 1985 declaring the holiday "Great Americans Day."

After Biloxi defended the holiday reference on Twitter and Facebook, dozens of comments were posted that criticized the move.

Mayor Andrew "FoFo" Gilich called for the city to repeal its ordinance and recognize the holiday with the King name.