It’s January, a month that many would call the worst of the year. What do you think? Do you find January dreary and dull?
Or, instead, do you see it as cozy and restful? Would you ever consider it your favorite month?
In “January’s Secret: It’s the Best Month,” Steven Kurutz writes about all the things that fans of January say actually make it a wonderful time of year:
Consider the plight of January, the sad sack of months.
It lacks for sunlight. It has some of the worst weather in the Northern Hemisphere — a dreary cold that happens to stretch on for 31 days.
It’s a month without social holidays. Even lowly February, its companion in the winter doldrums, has Valentine’s Day. January suffered another blow in 2022, when its one day of excitement, Super Bowl Sunday, moved permanently to the year’s second month.
Hollywood isn’t much help. Rather than providing distractions in these bleak days, the entertainment industry has made January a dumping ground for films that have no shot at winning awards or making year-end critics’ lists.
But the very things that make January a bit of a bore have endeared it to its fans. And while many people loathe the month because it means a restart of the daily grind, Robert Mac, a stand-up comedian, welcomes the return of steady work.
“I dislike breaking up my routine in the second half of December,” said Mr. Mac, 55, who lives in suburban Washington and, like many comics, travels extensively. “I can’t get anything done.”
Others like the month’s lack of social obligations and sense of calm.
“January is quickly becoming my favorite month of the year,” Chelsea Delman, a real estate agent in Providence, R.I., said in a video the she recently posted on her TikTok account, the Socialite Files. “I don’t have to go to any parties. I don’t have to go to any holidays. I don’t have to do anything. I can just chill.”
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
Does the article make you see January differently? Are you persuaded that it might actually be the best month of the year? Why or why not?
If not, what do you think is the best month? What makes it so? Try to come up with at least three reasons, and then share them in a way that convinces others of your point of view.
Now, in your opinion, what is the worst month of the year? Why?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
