This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Chasingsol (talk | contribs) at 11:24, 9 January 2009 (Reverted edits by Honest Green to last version by Chasingsol (HG)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 11:24, 9 January 2009 by Chasingsol (talk | contribs) (Reverted edits by Honest Green to last version by Chasingsol (HG))(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)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. . 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."
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.
This date typically falls on the Monday of the last full week of January. The date was stated to be 24 January in 2005, 23 January in 2006, 22 January in 2007, and 21 January in 2008. In 2009, Blue Monday will fall on January 19.
Mr Arnall also says, in a press release commissioned by Wall's ice cream that he has calculated the happiest day of the year - in 2005 24 June, in 2006 23 June and in 2008 20 June. So far, this date has fallen close to Midsummer.
References
- ^ "MS = media slut, but CW = corporate whore". The Guardian. 2006-12-16. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
- "How GxPxIxC = selling out to your corporate sponsor". The Guardian. 2006-11-18. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
- "Jan. 24 called worst day of the year". MSNBC. 2005-01-24. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
- "Jan. 23 most depressing day of the year: report". CTV. 2006-01-24. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
- "Blue Monday: The unhappiest day of the year". Daily Mail. 2007-01-22. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
- "Smile! You're not the only one in a bad mood". Telegraph.co.uk. 2008-01-21. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
- "It's the happiest day of the year, formula shows". CTV.ca. 2006-06-23. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
- "Cheer up for year's happiest day". BBC. 2005-06-24. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
- "Smile, it's the happiest day of the year". 2006-06-23. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
- "Today is the happiest day of the year according to Cliff Arnall's maths formula". 2008-06-20. Retrieved 2008-06-20.