Three ways Spain can improve the most depressing week of the year

While it may be too cold to lay on the beach right now, January in Spain is far less depressing than elsewhere in Europe.

Monday, January 15, 2018: or rather, Blue Monday, as it has become known in recent years. Scientists have pinpointed the second Monday of the year that falls on a working day as the most depressing day of the year, with the entire week also supposedly a blue time for everyone…

On the face of it, this makes sense. The weather is terrible (at least in the northern hemisphere), purses and wallets are empty and bellies are full after the festive period, and either you or someone you know is embarking on ‘dry January’ in an – often forlorn – effort to press reset on one’s drinking habits.

Well, unfortunately for those who live in or visit Spain in January, Blue Monday isn’t really a thing. Sure, the weather is cooler now than it will be again all year, but the general sunny disposition of the country means that even when the calendar is at its most depressing, Spain still delivers a shot of joy, fun and excitement – and here are three ways to remind yourself of that…

1) The sun still shines
For many people, the main joy of summer is not necessarily the warmth, or even the longer days – it’s the dazzling sunshine. Northern Europeans who flock to Spain during summer wax lyrical about ‘endless horizons’ and ‘cloudless blue skies’. Well, even in January Spain delivers on that front.

The temperature may dip to single digits on occasion, but sunshine is a year-round visitor to Spain, particularly on the aptly named Costa del Sol. So if you’re prepared to wrap up warm – and let’s face it, Spaniards love nothing more than dressing stylishly for winter – then you can enjoy an al fresco lunch and glass of chilled wine throughout January.

2) Spaniards work to live, not live to work
 Aside from the weather and shorter days, January feels bad for Brits and other Northern Europeans because it is akin to a month-long hangover. Alcohol consumption drops dramatically, people hit the gym, they scale back their spending, they dive into work… essentially, all fun is paused for four weeks – usually in opposite and equal measure to the amount of fun had in December.

Spain and Spaniards are different. December is fun, sure – but nobody really goes overboard for Christmas. And because nobody has really gone overboard, the comedown – that post-festive emptiness – is not so acute, and the redemption period barely registers. Spaniards spread out their celebrations throughout the year, and January is no exception.

3) A good time to buy
When better than in January to make a life-changing decision to purchase a property in Spain? New year’s resolutions are all well and good as a gimmick, but the sense of new beginnings that arrive in January can be best channelled into finally taking the plunge and making a dream home purchase.

January is great for this because flights to Spain are cheap this time of year, accommodation too, so it is a doddle to jet over to check out some viewings. And if you fall in love with a home this month – the ‘worst’ month of the year – then the other 11 months will be even better.