Anyone else love january?

[imabitjealousandembarassed]

I know it's unpopular but I LOVE the feeling of January. Everything just feels clean and big again. The year spreading ahead. Anyone else love it like me?

Yes this. Now I’m not restricted to school holidays I plan to go somewhere hot every January.

'Sad that a lot of people like it simply because it’s a long way from Christmas. I love Christmas'

I know a lot of people love Christmas but I really struggle with it. It's suffocating and overwhelming and so over hyped. I feel such a relief when it's over and done with and the new year begins, and that's a big part of why I love January

Suffocating and overwhelming - yes. That’s exactly how I feel about Christmas too, and there’s no real escape from it. I’m so relieved it’s over for another ten months.

Other than work, there's less to do. People tend to hunker down for the winter, do less, go out less because it's cold and gets dark earlier. If you have a garden there's way less to do at this time of the year. It might be different if you live in a big city, but in more rural areas January is definitely a breathing space.

Yes I do I love the feeling of a brand new yearim happy to see the back of decorations nice fresh home still cosy but less all the clutter.
I love the feeling of being on the right side of the year spring time garden time .. I love it .

I normally don’t really like it but this year for some reason I feel different.

Maybe because 2025 wasn’t the best year, nothing dramatically bad but just felt a bit of a slog. I feel like 2026 is a clean slate.

Yes, because I don't like the summer (heat, higher accommodation prices etc.). But I prefer February: February is when the spring is gathering its hind legs ready to leap.

Mumsnet is such a weird place. I totally get that Christmas is not for everyone but it feels like a necessity for MN members to completely hate it, almost like a personality trait.

It feels like a weirdly middle-aged woman's way of being edgy 😅

I love it. Everything feels so fresh and new. I really don’t enjoy Christmas so January always brings a sense of relief.
Then February is a short month (also my birthday) and March starts to feel like spring as the clocks change. April is probably my favourite month, Spring is so hopeful somehow.

It’s nothing to do with being middle aged. I’ve really struggled with Christmas since my early 20s.

I would agree with you if I lived in The Antipodes.
As I don't, I hate it.

I love New Year’s Day - the feeling of everything being new. And I find Xmas and New Year’s Eve difficult and loaded, so there’s a great sense of a weight lifting once they’re over.
I do find the ongoing dark and rain difficult (although I love freezing sunny days).
But overall it’s fine. I certainly don’t dread or loathe it like a lot of people seem to.

There are lots of ways to escape from it. A suffocating Christmas isn’t a legal requirement.

I don’t have less to do. All my hobbies, volunteering and other social life is exactly as in other months. What are people doing that disappears in January?

It kisses goodbye to Xmas and December so I personally love it. Apart from how busy the gym is - but many of those new members have calmed down by endo of Feb, thankfully.

How do I escape it without going abroad to a Muslim country? Do share your wisdom

Doesn't always work.

Istanbul was awash with Xmas tat when I was there a few years ago !

l cmnot bear January. Just waiting for the nights to get lighter. Many oeople feel depressed. Bring in February then Spring

Started off strong with a beautiful but cold walk in the countryside today. My goal for January is going to be as many outdoor walks as I can manage and I think that will help me see the joy of January.

The light was stunning today and it wasn’t too busy. Felt a real gift to be out. I spent my New Year’s Eve assessing people in mental health crisis so maybe that has helped shape my thinking.

Yes - it's my birthday later this month!

Same here. In my case, it's a lot to do with a painful family situation but I also just find the whole thing tacky and over hyped

Just do the bits you want to? Talk to people and plan something that suits?

You people all have some really good points. I usually hate January (team March here!), but I can now see most of your points. Thank you! This year, I made a list of things to look forward to in January to help with the blues, and it ended up being quite long.

Me too! Currently in Southern California. Although it pissed it down all day yesterday (😒), it’s 20+ degrees and clear for the rest of the trip. Though I like January (the calm after the storm), I hate cold weather, so always try to ‘cut down’ January by a week or two.

Yes, I do. Feels like emerging out of the darkness and suffocation of Christmas into a new light that grows slightly stronger every day. I like each month of the year, with the exceptions of November and December. I f-ing hate them. First the clocks change, on the last day of October, and we’re plunged into darkness, then November begins with the anniversaries of two people who I lost (on the fifth and the eighth). November isn’t even crisp and cold, just dark and horrible. I also hate Christmas, for various reasons, and then have my birthday on the 28th of December, which I loathe.