Blue Monday is a name given to a day in January (typically the third Monday of the month) reported to be the most depressing day of the year.
The concept was first published as part of a 2005 media campaign from holiday company Sky Travel which announced to have calculated the date using an equation.
The idea is considered pseudoscience.
Date:
The date generally falls on the third Monday in January, but also on the second or fourth Monday, or the Monday of the last full week of January.
Calculation:
The date was created to help a travel company to "analyze when people
book holidays and holiday trends" and used many factors, including:
-weather conditions
-weather conditions
-debt level (the difference between debt accumulated and our
ability to pay)
-time since Christmas
-time since failing our new year’s
resolutions
-low motivational levels...
-...and feeling of a need to take action.
One equation used in 2006 was:
where
Tt = travel time; D = delays; C = time spent on cultural activities; R = time spent relaxing; ZZ = time spent sleeping; St = time spent in a state of stress; P = time spent packing; Pr = time spent in preparation.
Tt = travel time; D = delays; C = time spent on cultural activities; R = time spent relaxing; ZZ = time spent sleeping; St = time spent in a state of stress; P = time spent packing; Pr = time spent in preparation.
Units of measurement are not defined.
Some experts have observed that the equations "fail even to make
mathematical sense", pointing out that under the original equation,
packing for ten hours and preparing for 40 will always guarantee a good
holiday, and that "you can have an infinitely good weekend by staying at
home and cutting your travel time to zero".
Dean Burnett, a neuroscientist who has worked in the psychology department
of Cardiff University, has described the work as "farcical", with
"nonsensical measurements".
The Happiest day:
Also, in a press release by Wall's
ice cream, it has been calculated the happiest day of the
year—in 2005, 24 June, in 2006, 23 June, in 2008, 20 June, in 2009, 19 June,
and in 2010, 18 June.
"Blue Monday" by NEW ORDER (1983)
How does it feel
To treat me like you do
When you've laid your hands upon me
And told me who you are
I thought I was mistaken
I thought I heard your words
Tell me how do I feel
Tell me now how do I feel
Those who came before me
Lived through their vocations
From the past until completion
They will turn away no more
And I still find it so hard
To say what I need to say
But I'm quite sure that you'll tell me
Just how I should feel today
I see a ship in the harbor
I can and shall obey
But if it wasn't for your misfortunes
I'd be a heavenly person today
And I thought I was mistaken
And I thought I heard you speak
Tell me how do I feel
Tell me now how should I feel
Now I stand here waiting
I thought I told you to leave me
While I walked down to the beach
Tell me how does it feel
When your heart grows cold
(Grows cold, grows cold, grows cold)
Songwriter(s): Gillian Gilbert / Peter Hook / Stephen Morris / Bernard Sumner
