LONDON (Reuters) - Be warned. Today is going to be the most depressing day of the year.
By using a complex mathematical formula, psychologist Cliff Arnalls has calculated the misery is about to peak in four days' time.
Fading memories of Christmas, mounting festive debts, foul weather, failed New Year resolutions and the long, dark nights create the perfect mix for gloom, says the Cardiff University expert who specialises in seasonal disorders.
Syzygy
5:56 pm on Jan 24, 2005 (gmt 0)
This appears to have taken the UK by storm since it was released to the press early last week. 'Everyone' is saying, "Oh, it's the worst day of the year today!"
It's amazing how quickly a bit of pseudo-science fun can catch on and be taken so literally by almost an entire population in the space of just a few days...
Syzygy
encyclo
6:30 pm on Jan 24, 2005 (gmt 0)
It's a self-fulfilling prophesy. Claim that a particular date is the most depressing day of the year based on some wobbly hypotheses and some number-crunching, get a load of publicity, people read the news and get depressed by the fact that it is the most depressing day of the year, and you've turned full-circle.
Nice publicity stunt, though!
AAnnAArchy
7:03 pm on Jan 24, 2005 (gmt 0)
Well, that explains my raging headache. I'm glad to blame it on something other than my failing body.
edit_g
1:43 am on Jan 25, 2005 (gmt 0)
Couldn't they have found the happiest day of the year instead?
iamlost
2:31 am on Jan 25, 2005 (gmt 0)
Couldn't they have found the happiest day of the year instead?
Only fully paid up subscribers may reference that information.
balam
8:45 pm on Jan 25, 2005 (gmt 0)
The country of Belize has known this for a long time and refer to it as the Magga season, for most all the reasons listed. (Being fairly close to the equator, there's no big change in the amount of sunlight between winter & summer - about two hours.)
