Why January is, by far, the year's longest month

I recently saw a rather truthful meme. It said, “January is the Monday of months.” The quote is tributed to F. Scott Fitzgerald, from “The Beautiful and the Damned.” Good lord, is that one true statement.

January feels so very long. It could be the freezing cold, drab weather. It could be that the lack of sunshine and Vitamin D is finally getting to me. I am positive that I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, though I’ve never bothered to ask for the diagnosis nor the cure.

Whatever the reason, this is the time of year I absolutely loathe. Firstly, the days are technically getting longer. The Winter Solstice is Dec. 21 each year, and from there out, the days get slightly longer, with sunset becoming later and later each evening. But it’s hardly noticeable just a month away from the solstice. And there may be nothing more depressing than darkness at 5 p.m.

I wonder at times if the bland month of January has to do with a lack of holidays? We are on a Christmas hangover, of sorts. We get the kids back to school in September. We hurriedly craft costumes for Halloween. Somehow, it’s instantly Thanksgiving, and, in what feels like just seconds after, comes Christmas. Then New Year’s Eve/Day trots along right behind. It. You spend fall in a whirlwind of chaos, or at least this mom did and does.

And then, comes January… boring, long, dumb January. There are no real celebrations. Even if you get Martin Luther King Jr. Day/Day of Service off, it’s no big “to do.” Perhaps that is why I find the entire 31 days an absolute drag-fest of yuck.

I’ve long asked the powers that be and told anyone that will listen that we should really move Christmas to the end of January. For one, it would actually give moms a chance to breathe somewhere in that fall/winter flurry of activity. It would also lengthen the shopping season, which you’d think retailers would have considered by now.

If we could have the big dates moved back, we’d have the pretty lights longer, trees making our home smell wonderful for more time. Moms would have more time to bake, shop, wrap … prepare. Of course, it may make that season of the Elf on the Shelf tortuously longer… But, it’d be worth it.

Having the big holidays a month later really benefits us all. Most love that time of year, and how the sparkle of the holidays puts something special in the hearts of many. Wouldn’t that be great to last through two months, instead of crammed into just one?

Thus far in my life, no one has taken me up on the change. But I do think it would help. Most friends, tons of social media connections, and even my own household is running on empty. We all spend the month tired. We sleep in, go to bed early, but nothing helps. We just are exhausted. We have no drive to do anything. We have no desire to be active. We all suddenly become introverts to the max, barely changing our clothes or leaving the house.

I’m not sure why this month feels so very long. But, boy, does it drag on forever. Next month, we’ll joke about a rodent guessing our weather forecast. Then we’ll enjoy a day off thanks to some old presidents. Later, Hallmark will guilt you into making a big splash about the one you love. There’s plenty going on in the year’s shortest of months.

And after that, though it currently sounds like an eternity from now, it will be March Madness, the daylight will stick around past our working hours, and yes, even that long-lost friend spring will return. Life becomes anew, growing, fresh, and bright.

But for now, we’ll all remain a bit rundown, seemingly lacking any energy, and hoping that the page on the calendar flips soon. Be kind to one another. We all seem to agree, we are stuck in the “Monday-est” of months… Hang in there.