# Why does January seem so loooooong? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 31, 2025, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678 "2025-01-31T14:50:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/1 "2025-01-31T14:50:56Z")
December seemed to end in a blink of an eye but this January felt like it was 67 weeks long. Why is that? ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/2 "2025-01-31T15:03:20Z")
I feel the same way. It seems as if I lived five years this month. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/3 "2025-01-31T17:28:12Z")
December is very busy with Holiday prep. And for many people, travel. All of which reduces the number of “ordinary days” in Dec. January has none of that. For much of the US, weather in Dec is bad, whereas January weather is atrocious. trump and the many people who can’t stop looking at the news. Turn that shit off and you’d be amazed how much nicer Feb will be than Jan. Despite a similar lack of holiday distractions and similarly atrocious weather. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/4 "2025-01-31T17:35:50Z")
Yes to all that, but also while the January days are getting longer and the nights shorter, the day-to-day changes are minimal during January. In February and March the daily changes become more significant. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/5 "2025-01-31T17:41:27Z")
Nevermind ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/6 "2025-01-31T20:52:33Z")
Don’t worry; February will be shorter. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/7 "2025-01-31T22:40:02Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Don’t worry; February will be shorter. But will it make you shiver? ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/8 "2025-02-01T01:48:04Z")
If you work in Finance January seems ridiculously short. That’s because you’re just sorting out the fourth quarter results from the previous year, and when you’re about done with that you realize you’re more than a third of the way through the first quarter! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/9 "2025-02-01T01:53:34Z")
I’ve been busy at work. January went by quickly. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2025, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/10 "2025-02-05T15:35:50Z")
I hate this time of year - January through March. Where I live it seems like an endless winter. But I have to say the time seems to fly. The weeks are gone in a blink of an eye. I don’t know what I hate more, the endless drudgery of cold or the time (my life) flying by. I can’t change either of them. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2025, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/11 "2025-02-05T15:44:22Z")
Well, there is a big let down that comes with the end of the holiday season and the absolute heart of a very dark and very cold winter. Heck, I didn’t have to return to school until January 6, and January was still very long and bleak. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/12 "2025-02-07T03:10:32Z")
Everybody KNOWS February is the longest month of the year! It just drags on and on and on and on (and on)! Christmas bills hit in February, and there is always much more month than money. Fuel bills are exorbitant, and laundry is a nightmare. Everyone is still bloated from Christmas feasting, nobody feels like cooking, and who the Hell has energy to prepare all the diet crap we promised ourselves we would be eating? Damned February! ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![pirviii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pirviii/32/3233_2.png) [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/13 "2025-02-07T04:36:51Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > Everybody KNOWS February is the longest month of the year! It’s that damn ground hog. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/14 "2025-02-07T12:32:57Z")
It’s worse than the ground hog. he only lasts a few minutes. It’s the incessant yabbering in teh media _about_ the stupid ground hog that seems to last a month ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/15 "2025-02-07T14:15:02Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Yes to all that, but also while the January days are getting longer and the nights shorter, the day-to-day changes are minimal during January. In February and March the daily changes become more significant. They also aren’t that far from their shortest in Jan; oooh, 6 mins more daylight but it’s still dark when you walk out after work. The other thing is that it’s even darker in neighborhoods because the Xmas lights are now down. Jan is _definitely_ the darkest month to be out in the evening > [@VOW](#): > > Christmas bills hit in February Huh? I get a CC bill once a month; Dec purchases would be due in Jan (unless very late Dec purchases) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/16 "2025-02-07T14:54:20Z")
Sorta. You get the bill 1 to 30 days after the purchase. Any you can pay it 30 days later no interest, so 31 to 60 days post-purchase. Depending on the timing of your purchase versus your billing cycle, that may well be into Feb. But I agree completely that I had major headscratching about all of @VOW’s post. My reaction was: Christmas bills hit in February: _Some do some don’t. But it doesn’t matter._ there is always much more month than money: _Not for most of us. And if that is happening to you, your problem is not too little money but too much Christmas. So do it smaller = smarter next year._ Fuel bills are exorbitant: _Not if you’re one of the ~50% of Americans who live where it’s warm in winter. For us, Jan is low ebb for energy costs._ and laundry is a nightmare: _Bwuh; WTF is up with laundry? IME every week of my year has about the same laundry._ Everyone is still bloated from Christmas feasting: _Maybe for a day after Dec 24 and Dec 31. Then I’m hungry again._ nobody feels like cooking: _Must be you. Maybe a day or three after the feast days during which we’re dutifully eating the leftovers before they go bad, but then it’s back to cooking and eating as usual._ and who the Hell has energy: _Same energy as any other day of the year. If it takes someone 30-60 days to recover from a party, they’re doing more partying than is wise._ to prepare all the diet crap: _‘Diet crap’ is certainly less effort to prepare than feast fare and IMO less effort to prepare than hefty volumes of carb-heavy anti-‘diet’ food._ we promised ourselves we would be eating?: _resolutions are IMO an emotional trap. Just say “no” to resolutions. Instead eat what makes your body feel good. Which feels good in the doing. In my case that’s eating for anti-obesity, but YMMV._ So color me confused about that whole rant. But it was a heartfelt rant and I suppose we should salute it as a good example of the breed even if this isn’t the official “'rants” thread. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/17 "2025-02-07T15:10:32Z")
February is twice as long as January. At least in New England. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/18 "2025-02-07T15:25:30Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > and laundry is a nightmare: _Bwuh; WTF is up with laundry? IME every week of my year has about the same laundry._ I was a bit puzzled by that one too; I guessing she means more & bulkier layers than summertime means it may need be done more often > [@LSLGuy](#): > > to prepare all the diet crap: _‘Diet crap’ is certainly less effort to prepare than feast fare and IMO less effort to prepare than hefty volumes of carb-heavy anti-‘diet’ food._ I don’t do ‘Diet crap’; you do realize what the first three letters of diet are, right? 🤔😯 ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/19 "2025-02-07T15:41:33Z")
Mrs. FtG was watching an episode of the Kelly Lee and Mark Lee show from last week. One of them mentioned that January seemed to have started 3 months ago. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-january-seem-so-loooooong/1013678/20 "2025-02-07T15:46:38Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > > [@LSLGuy](#): > > > > and laundry is a nightmare: _Bwuh; WTF is up with laundry? IME every week of my year has about the same laundry._ > > I was a bit puzzled by that one too; I guessing she means more & bulkier layers than summertime means it may need be done more often Maybe. For me summer means I go through 2 or 3 sets of clothes per day. Winter means the same clothes last all day. When I lived in cold country (as they evidently do now), my underwear changed daily, but outerwear often lasted several days. And yes, I’m wearing a sweater I would not have in summer, but those get washed once mid-season and once again before being stored over the summer. To the degree there is a difference, Feb is probably the least laundry month for me whether I’m living in the tropics, the desert, or snow country. And I’ve done all 3.