There are a few dates in the calendar year that we are all a little afraid of. There’s of course Halloween, where we all get the heebie jeebies about ghosts and ghouls. Then there is Friday the 13th, but one date that we’re all getting more and more down about in recent years is Blue Monday.

It is the date in the calendar that is claimed to be the most depressing day of the year. Originating in 2005, when a study analysed weather conditions, debt levels, time since Christmas and several other factors, with the date usually falling on the third Monday of January.

But is it actually true? With this year’s falling on Monday January 18, we think there is plenty out there to enjoy, even during such a testing start to the year. Yes, blue Monday is a myth and below we’ve highlighted four of the biggest things to smile or have hope about on such a day.

Blue Monday Usually Falls on Martin Luther King Jr Day

Blue Monday regularly falls on Martin Luther King Jr day, which is by no means a reason to feel down. A federal holiday in the USA, but celebrated across the world, the day is a period to feel grateful for all the work Luther King did during his life in fighting against inequality.

The day falls on the third Monday of the year annually and was first introduced as a US holiday back in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan. Since then, it’s taken a life of its own, and it perhaps won’t be more poignant than this year.

This Year Celebrates The Birthday Of…

As well as falling on Martin Luther King Jr Day this year, Blue Monday is the birthday of many comedy legends and many others throughout entertainment, so rather than enduring a frown, turn it upside down and celebrate their fine work instead.

Oliver Hardy was born on this day back in 1892, famed for being one of the most iconic comic actors of all time alongside his double act partner Stan Laurel, while AA Milne, author of Winnie the Pooh was also born on the same day 10 years previously. If you prefer a Netflix binge, Jane Horrocks of Absolutely Fabulous was born on January 18, as was Jason Segal, the actor famed for The Muppets, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the Five-Year Engagement, which contains a rather hilarious scene about bingo.

You Can Seek Out Enjoyment Anywhere

Of course, you can do what we do, and dismiss Blue Monday and make the most of it. There are plenty of ways you can forget about the weather and the fact it’s 341 days until Christmas. You can of course watch Jason Segell films, You can binge on boxsets, go for a run, do a jigsaw, or partake in the vast majority of your favourite hobbies, including bingo!

There Are Good Things Happening All Over The World

Then there is what’s going on in the rest of the world. Sure, the news may be full of doom and gloom, but there are good things happening across the world too. The stories that offer hope, fill hearts with pride and make us smile. They don’t disappear because we’re told it’s the most depressing day of the year.

One such positive event taking place online in the UK this year on Blue Monday, is The Festival of Connection, an event that is the final one of the Jo Cox Foundation’s Winter Get Together and sees a host of comedians take to the virtual stage, as well as DJ sets, dance classes and even a game of bingo thrown in. What better way to cheer ourselves up?

 

We’ve teamed up with the @JoCoxFoundation to host a one-day free virtual, #FestivalOfConnection on 18th Jan to help bring people together & spread a bit of cheer during this blue-est of Januarys. Events are being added every day & already include “A Silly Show with @JosieLong “ pic.twitter.com/zfoZhXhtOK

— SocialEyes (@clubsocialeyes) January 4, 2021

There’s plenty more too, in Fife there’s a lantern festival lighting up Silverburn Park while people take their evening, socially distanced stroll and so much more up and down the country and online.

Of course, January is a bleak month for many, but it does not have to be simply because of a title handed to a Monday. It’s the same as every other day, and as you can see, there are certainly many different ways in which you can make the most of it.