Nicknamed 'Blue Monday,' the third Monday in January is widely regarded to be the 'most depressing day of the year.'
The idea of Blue Monday was born in 2005 when Dr. Cliff Arnall developed a 'formula' to determine the most depressing day of the year as part of a promotion for UK travel company Sky Travel.
"Blue Monday - January Blues Day is Officially Announced," the 2005 press release proclaimed, according to The Guardian.
"The 26th January is the most depressing day in the calendar for the majority of Brits as measured by a simple mathematical formula developed on behalf of Sky Travel."
The 'formula' considered factors including the average temperature, days since last pay, days until the next bank holiday, average hours of daylight, and the number of nights in during the month.
However, Dr. Arnall has distanced himself from his 'Blue Monday' formula, later telling The Telegraph that he was asked to come up with what he thought would be the best day to book a summer holiday.
"...but when I started thinking about the motives for booking a holiday, reflecting on what thousands had told me during stress management or happiness workshops, there were these factors that pointed to the third Monday in January as being particularly depressing… but it is not particularly helpful to put that out there and say ‘there you are’… it is almost a self-fulfilling prophecy that it is the most depressing day."
Despite this, the idea of 'Blue Monday' persists.
Whether or not 'Blue Monday' is real, there's no doubt we could all use a bit of cheering up throughout the cold days of January!
Read on to check out some Irish ways to beat 'Blue Monday ...'
Cook up an Irish treat
The only thing that makes comfort food more, well, comforting is adding a bit of Irish flair to it. Check out these tasty Irish treats that are sure to ban the winter blues!
- A cuppa tea - Will it be Barry's or Lyon's?
- Full Irish breakfast - Start 'Blue Monday' on the right foot with a full belly.
- Chips and curry sauce - a modern Irish favorite.
- Irish trifle - Trifle on a Monday? Why not!
- Irish coffee - this one's for the grown-ups!
Fancy a cuppa? (Getty Images)
Watch a fun Irish movie or show
Put the feet up and position yourself on your couch for Blue Monday with these entertaining Irish movies and shows:
- "The Commitments" - What happens when working-class kids from Dublin form a soul band
- "The Secret of Kells" - An Oscar-nominated film and family-friendly favorite
- "Waking Ned Devine" - Hilarity ensues in a small Irish village after a local man wins the lotto
- "Derry Girls" - Cracker!
- "The Young Offenders" - A movie and its follow-up sitcom follows two bumbling Cork lads
- "Bad Sisters" - A brilliant watch that will have you guessing until the end
(Netflix)
Dig into an Irish book
Tune out the world on Blue Monday by opening up one of Ireland's innumerable reads:
- "Grown Ups" by Marian Keyes - "Warm and witty, but never afraid to tackle the big stuff," this is just one of the greats from Keyes.
- "Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?" by Séamas O’Reilly - A bestseller in Ireland described as "tender, sad and side-splittingly funny."
- "Circle of Friends" by Maeve Binchy - A "terrific tale, told by a master storyteller" that was later adapted into a film.
- "Skippy Dies" by Paul Murray - Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, this Irish novel is described as "a tragic comedy of epic sweep and dimension."
"Circle of Friends" by Maeve Binchy.
Put on some Irish tunes
- Irish folk songs playlist - The Dubliners, Liam Clancy, and more.
- IrishCentral readers' favorite Irish songs playlist - A mixed bag! Celtic Thunder, The Pogues, The Cranberries, and more.
- Ireland's greatest songwriters playlist - Glen Hansard, Sinéad O'Connor, Dolores O'Riordan, and more.
- Irish pub songs playlist - Thin Lizzy, The Irish Rovers, Damien Dempsey, and more.
The Dubliners.
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