Blue Monday (also known in Japan as Sazae-san syndrome) is a name given to a date stated, as part of a publicity campaign by Sky Travel, to be the most depressing day of the year. It is considered pseudoscience.^[1]

History [link]

This date was published in a press release under the name of Cliff Arnall, at the time a tutor at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, a Further Education centre attached to Cardiff University. Guardian columnist Dr. Ben Goldacre reported that the press release was delivered substantially pre-written to a number of academics by public relations agency Porter Novelli, who offered them money to put their names to it.^[2] The Guardian later printed a statement from Cardiff University distancing themselves from Arnall: "Cardiff University has asked us to point out that Cliff Arnall... was a former part-time tutor at the university but left in February."^[3]

Date [link]

This date allegedly falls on the Monday of the last full week of January. The date was declared by Arnall to be 24 January in 2005,^[4] 23 January in 2006,^[5] 22 January in 2007,^[6] 21 January in 2008,^[7] 19 January in 2009,^[8] 18 January in 2010. In 2011 there has been confusion about the correct date. Some claimed it was on 17 January 2011^[9] while others say blue Monday was on 24 January 2011.^[10][11][12]

Calculation [link]

According to a press release by a mental health charity,^[8] the formula is:

Failed to parse (Missing texvc executable; please see math/README to configure.): \frac{[W + D-d] T^Q}{M N_a}

where weather=W, debt=d, time since Christmas=T, time since failing our new year’s resolutions=Q, low motivational levels=M and the feeling of a need to take action=N_a. 'D' is not defined in the release, nor are units.

Arnall says the date was calculated by using many factors, including: 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. Writing about the calculation, Ben Goldacre stated: ... the fact is that Cliff Arnall's equations ... fail even to make mathematical sense on their own terms.^[2]

Happiest day [link]

Mr Arnall also says, in a press release commissioned by Wall's ice cream,^[13] that he has calculated the happiest day of the year—in 2005, 24 June,^[14] in 2006, 23 June,^[15] in 2008, 20 June,^[16] in 2009, 19 June^[17] and in 2010, 18 June.^[18] So far, this date has fallen close to Midsummer.

2012 [link]

In 2012 the most depressing day of the year was said to be January 23.^[19][20][21]

References [link]

External links [link]

• BBC pages referencing Blue Monday 2005 2009 2012