To think January and February are weird months?

[KeeG8181]

I've just gone to the supermarket and it's virtually empty, and it's got me thinking.

Does anyone else just find January and February weird?
Christmas and New Year is over so there's not much to look forward to for those who celebrate. The majority of people are skint, everywhere is so quiet, it's absolutely freezing and gets dark early. Idk I feel so bleh!

Am I the only one who finds it really eerie?

'I quite like January. I love autumn and Xmas but I find all the mental load quite overwhelming by the end of it so I find January quite calming and restorative'

Totally agree, except about Christmas. One of the things I love most about January is that Christmas is over! Calm, peaceful, a time to reflect and make some changes if you want to. Lovely. I look forward to Spring but I enjoy Winter more and more as I get older

The only decent thing about January is that pineapples are in season, so are rather tasty. Not that I can taste them this year, as I lost my smell and taste from covid, and the sweet and sour parts still haven't returned...!

@frazzledasarock

I have a birthday in January too, right before payday.

I once bonded with a BA air crew member over the birthday as hers was on the same day… she gave us an upgrade over it 😆😆😆

Me too . No money and everyone doing dry January or dieting!

I find all the sparkly lights disappearing quite depressing! All the decorated houses and lovely fairy lights through town add a bit of joy, so it’s sad when they’re all taken down but it’s still dark, cold and miserable.

Thd older I get I now consider March as the start of the New Year.

Jan and Feb are just something inbetween March and Dec

I hate January & February too. January we’re skint and recovering from Christmas. Its a long 5 weeks in January until payday. So many birthdays in Jan & Feb and then when February rolls in it feels like the days go by so quick but the month feels loooooong! And I’m bloody frozen all the time 😂

@edwinbear

I don't mind January. I don't like the bit in between Christmas and NY where I sit on the sofa, drinking wine, eating cheese and feeling my stomach pressing deeper into my waistband by the minute.

Once NYE is out of the way, I quite enjoy dry Jan, eating better and getting back to the gym. I feel sluggish during the party season, but (unsurprisingly), once I start my Jan health kick, I sleep better, look better and lose the Christmas pounds. Plus I save loads as there is nothing to do or buy, and nobody wants to go out. It's a hibernation period, before emerging out of my cocoon in the spring!

Exactly how l feel!

I much prefer January and February to October and November. I hate the dying of the light pre Christmas and I hate the build up to Christmas too . I'm always better once the shortest day and Christmas are over . I love getting back to having less to do and seeing the nights get slowly lighter

I agree, I hate those months. I'm really trying not to wish two months of the year away and trying to focus on nice things but I'd rather hibernate until spring.

Oh noooo I love January! It’s my DC birthday so we always have a big party and all friends/ family round. Then late January it’s St. Dwynwen’s day (which we celebrate instead of Valentine’s Day) so a posh meal out!! It’s a fab month!!!!

Also the half terms suddenly feel really short this time of year. I work in education and it all feels busy and full of a buzz from now on! It’s a slog November in school to be honest. I love Feb half term, always go away for a few days and then when it’s back to school there’s a great big EAster holiday looming to look forward to.

Both my DD have January birthdays (mid January, just a few days apart). Its not so bad now but my SIL also has a Mid January birthday and says as an adult it's been so shit. Everyone is skint / doing Dry January. It's cold and weather is rubbish, she finds it hard to rally people for birthday drinks so she doesn't bother. Even her milestone birthdays have been a bit of a damp squib due to the date.

FWIW I don't hate January. It's my least favourite month but I try to see the positives. I always declutter after Christmas, have a proper clear out. I do it room by room over the space of a week. I do Dry January and generally make a much more concentrated effort to do things I have neglected in the busier months like reading / early nights / films.

January is month of hankering down, I don't feel guilty if the kids have a PJ day in deepest, darkest January.

I love January. It's when my neighbours from Hell take down all their vile flashing neon bright Christmas chaser lights from all over their back garden, and I can actually sleep at night again!
Plus the darkest two weeks of the year are over, the daffodils are pushing through the soil, the winter jasmine and viburnum are in full flower, and the geese are beginning to head north again. I love hearing their wild melancholy honking as skeins of them go overhead in mass formations. And I can enjoy going for walks without hordes of tourists filling the limited car parking spaces.

Worst months of the year. Hate them.

I like January too. Already noticing how much lighter it is at 4pm, used to be pitch black dark but no longer! Wohooo.

I think there was an article in the press saying this year has been one of the worst years for actual daylight something like only 27hours in total. It definately has been much greyer than I remember most Decemebers.

So onwards we go to more light!

I like Jan and Feb but my birthday and my siblings birthdays are all in these 2 months so it was always quite magical growing up! I also love winter and the cold - I even like dark evenings and bleak days.

I don't like March to June, hayfevery and dull. July and August are nice relaxing months and the autumn approaches which makes me happy!

Loathe January !! What is there to like? Christmas is over, it's freezing cold, no money etc.

I quite like January because it's my birthday and I actually enjoy the wintery weather. February I find fairly boring as we don't have much going on but I still prefer it to the summer months. Hate hot weather and I don't like it being light so late, it brings out the worst in my moron neighbours!

Don't mind February, it's a shorter month, we have a couple of birthdays and yummy pancakes !!

We have a lot of very special events in January and February (anniversary, family birthdays etc.) that have made it feel like one of the most special times of the year. I always feel really lucky that we have those reasons that mean when the Christmas decs have gone down, I still am riding a high of nice events.

Not a total Pollyanna though, I find the spring quite a slog, really struggle with it.

Also find jan and feb by far the worst months of the year. It’s like we have ‘nice winter’ (nov and Dec) and ‘nasty winter’ (Jan and Feb!).

I do like it if we get a properly cold and snowy snap in Feb though.

I hate January. It's cold and depressing, nothing happens and it drags on and on. It is getting lighter which is nice, but it's still dark in the morning and early evening.

February is mildly preferable because DD's birthday is in early March so I can distract myself sorting out her presents, cake and (where allowed) party. After her birthday it's me, BFF, DH, DM, DSF and MIL's in quick succession, by which point it's almost June, then I'm distracted by DS' birthday in July. And then Summer, which I cope with much better.

Birthdays get me through, apparently.

January's an awful month. I'm broke, fat and cold, and it goes on for bloody ever. February's not so bad.

I concentrate on the days getting brighter from 21st Dec.
February is short anyway.

I love the first few months of the year as I typically only have to work half days due to the weather and construction quietening down. Used to find them depressing with Xmas having gone but all the crap weather still here.