It is the least popular month of the year, a yawning icy desert of New Year’s resolutions never made or already broken, unpaid bills, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and general post-holiday letdown.
But with the advent of generally milder winters in the Northern Hemisphere and the rise of remote work in the post-pandemic era, January has been recast as the month of reset and wellness.
It remains a serious month. Today – Monday, Jan. 15 – is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, falling this year on the actual birthday of the slain civil rights leader, a day for service to our nation. (See separate post in this newsletter.) Because MLK Day falls on the 15th, estimated taxes for fourth quarter 2023 are due Tuesday, Jan. 16.
It’s also a literally sobering month. January is now Dry January, after an undoubtedly Wet December, when we’re asked to abstain from alcohol – which is a Group 1 carcinogen, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, putting it in the same category as asbestos, radiation and tobacco.
But January’s spare, spectral beauty, its quietude and solitude, its very interior quality, also invite us to reflect, recharge and reorganize. It’s a great time to start spring-cleaning and home- improvement projects, in part because they’re more affordable in the winter than they are in the soft seasons. Now that you’ve paid your estimated taxes, January reminds you to keep your financial house in order so you’re not running around looking for tax papers in March.
January is also the time of year when those who worked the holidays – all those in retail and hospitality – take some downtime, while others schedule what Westfair Travel Talk columnist Jeremy Wayne calls “Jampering,” January pampering, on island, Southern and Southwestern resorts offering wellness retreats. (See his story here.)
Most of all, January is time for dreamy nights by the fire with your pet, a good book or your favorite show to binge-watch. It’s a moment to ask yourself: What do I want the rest of the year to hold and how can I make this happen?
It’s also a good time to get a little extra shut-eye, because January is really two months. In the first half, we regrouped after the holiday whirlwind. Now the events calendar ramps up, prepping us for January’s holiday-crazed sister, February, which begins with Black History Month Feb. 1 and rolls on to the lunar new year (Feb. 10); the Super Bowl (Feb. 11); Galentine’s Day (Feb. 13) for female, or any, friends; Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14); Presidents’ Day (Feb. 19); school break; and, this year, Leap Day (Feb. 29.) (Alas, Valentine’s Day is also Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, so you might want to go easy on the chocolates or save them for Lent-free Sundays.)
Even if you hate winter, just remember: Before you know it, it will be time for January and February’s topsy-turvy kid sister, March – and almost-spring.
