Blue Monday (date)

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Blue Monday 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.

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.[1] 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."[2]

According to a press release by a mental health charity[3], the formula is:

\frac{[W + (D-d)] \times T^Q}{M \times 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=Na. '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, Goldacre stated: ... the fact is that Cliff Arnall's equations ... fail even to make mathematical sense on their own terms.[1]

This date typically falls on the Monday of the last full week of January. The date was stated to be 24 January in 2005,[4] 23 January in 2006,[5] 22 January in 2007,[6] 21 January in 2008,[7] and 19 January in 2009.[8]

Mr Arnall also says, in a press release commissioned by Wall's ice cream,[9] that he has calculated the happiest day of the year - in 2005, 24 June,[10] in 2006, 23 June,[11], in 2008 20 June[12] and in 2009 19 June[13]. So far, this date has fallen close to Midsummer.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "MS = media slut, but CW = corporate whore". The Guardian. 2006-12-16. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2006/dec/16/badscience.uknews. Retrieved 2008-01-21. 
  2. ^ "How GxPxIxC = selling out to your corporate sponsor". The Guardian. 2006-11-18. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2006/nov/18/badscience.uknews. Retrieved 2008-01-21. 
  3. ^ "Campaign aims to help ease January blues British public urged to ‘Beat Blue Monday’". www.mentalhealth.org.uk. 2009-01-13. http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/media/news-releases/news-releases-2009/13-january-2009/. Retrieved 2009-01-13. 
  4. ^ "Jan. 24 called worst day of the year". MSNBC. 2005-01-24. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6847012/. Retrieved 2007-03-13. 
  5. ^ "Jan. 23 most depressing day of the year: report". CTV. 2006-01-24. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060123/depressing_day_060123/20060123?hub=World. Retrieved 2007-03-13. 
  6. ^ "Blue Monday: The unhappiest day of the year". Daily Mail. 2007-01-22. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=430389&in_page_id=1770. Retrieved 2007-03-13. 
  7. ^ "Smile! You're not the only one in a bad mood". Telegraph.co.uk. 2008-01-21. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/2008/01/21/ftdepressing121.xml. Retrieved 2008-01-21. 
  8. ^ "Campaign aims to help ease January blues British public urged to ‘Beat Blue Monday’". www.mentalhealth.org.uk. 2009-01-13. http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/media/news-releases/news-releases-2009/13-january-2009/. Retrieved 2009-01-13. 
  9. ^ "It's the happiest day of the year, formula shows". CTV.ca. 2006-06-23. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060623/happiest_day_060623/20060623?hub=TopStories. Retrieved 2007-03-13. 
  10. ^ "Cheer up for year's happiest day". BBC. 2005-06-24. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/4618209.stm. Retrieved 2007-03-13. 
  11. ^ "Smile, it's the happiest day of the year". 2006-06-23. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/lifestyle/2006-06/23/content_624619.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-13. 
  12. ^ "Today is the happiest day of the year according to Cliff Arnall's maths formula". 2008-06-20. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2158104/Today-is-the-happiest-day-of-the-year-according-to-Cliff-Arnall's-maths-formula.html. Retrieved 2008-06-20. 
  13. ^ "Here comes the sum... Algebra 'proves' how holiday hopes, heat and high spirits make today the year's happiest". 2009-06-19. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1194089/Why-June-19th-happiest-day-year.html. Retrieved 2009-06-21. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Monday_(date)"