Today is Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year. Except for the fact that is definitely isn't. It is if you go by what the media and the concept's originator says. It isn't if you go by what science, psychology, evidence and sanity in general say.

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The "Blue Monday" phenomenon is based on the claim that there is an equation that takes into account numerous variables that negatively influence people's mood and calculates that the most depressing day of the year is the third Monday in January.

This claim is incorrect. It is unscientific. It is pseudoscientific. It is uberpseudoscientific. It is gibberish, bilge, rubbish, crap, stupid, and any other polite way of saying "utter bollocks" that you can think of.
It was created by Dr Cliff Arnall, who often presents himself as a Cardiff University psychologist. I say "presents himself", but I'm not saying he isn't one. Granted, I worked at the Cardiff University psychology department for over five years, and nobody there had ever heard of him, and also the university outreach group have complained several times about having to repeatedly tell enquirers that he's nothing to do with the university (though apparently he worked there as a part-time tutor until February 2006). But I'm not saying he isn't what he says he is.

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