In the UK, Monday January 20th 2025 was the so-called Blue Monday. It is said to be the most depressing day of the year, as Christmas and New Year holidays are already fading into our memories, and it is over 88 days until the next public holiday on Good Friday (April 18th), which is plenty to make the average Briton feel grumpy.
Does that make Blue Monday the world’s most boring day of the year? It can’t be, as on the same day, America observed a holiday to honour the life of Martin Luther King Jr., and a few other countries marked notable events with public holidays.
But in less than a month after Blue Monday, on Thursday Feb 13th, we have the first day of the year where no single country or region is taking time off for a holiday.
Thursday February 13th is certainly a stronger contender for most boring day of the year than Blue Monday.
But before we award the title of most boring day 2024 to February 13th, let’s take a look at the rest of 2025. Going month by month, there are currently* another four working days when no country or region in the world will observe a public holiday, meaning in theory, we are all working!
Here are the dates:
- Thursday Feb 13
- Friday Aug 22
- Thursday Oct 16
- Thursday Oct 30
- Thursday Nov 13
So which of the above dull days wins the most boring day of the year 2024?
Let’s look at each date in more detail:
- Thursday February 13 is a day after a full moon, marked by Buddhists as Makha Bucha. It is also a day before St. Valentine’s Day, so for many, it’ll be a day to focus on arranging a gift or buying a card for your valentine. Verdict: Not boring.
- It’s a long wait for the next weekday with no holidays – Friday August 22. If you live a Muslim country, Friday is a weekend, so that rules out a Friday as a contender for the most boring day of the year. Verdict: Not boring.
- A couple of months later, we reach a period with three potential candidates in less than a month. First up is Thursday October 16. This day is at the end of a week that starts with many holidays on the Monday, with Diwali on the following Monday. Verdict: Potentially boring.
- Next is Thursday October 30. This Thursday is in a pretty quiet week, sandwiched between Turkiye’s Republic Day and Reformation Day, and of course the small matter of Halloween. Being so close to Halloween, this date isn’t a suitable candidate for the most boring day. Verdict: Not boring
- Finally, let’s consider Thursday November 13. On the Tuesday before, some countries will pause to remember the losses in war on Remembrance Day, but there is a lull in holidays after that. Verdict: Relatively boring.
Now that we have reviewed all the dates, the accolade for the most boring day goes to… (half-hearted drumroll) Thursday November 13th!
*Experience shows us that a couple of these days will have public holidays announced on their dates. It might be an election, or a sport victory.