In the words of T.S. Eliot, April may be the cruelest month — but a new survey proves that Americans feel quite differently.
In a Gallup survey that asked 1,000 Americans what their favorite months of the year are, February came in dead last, basically tied with January. April fell solidly in the middle, while the transition months of May and October came in first and second place.
Admittedly, the survey is a little long in the tooth — the last time Gallup asked this question was in 2005 — but it's getting fresh buzz thanks to a recent article in The Washington Post.
Perhaps most surprising, especially to those currently suffering through late summer heat and humidity, is that August was only considered the fourth-worst month.
Some opinions have shifted over the years, noted the Post: While May was also the favorite month in 1960, October has risen in the ranks over the decades, as has December. February, however, has consistently remained at the bottom of the heap (thank goodness it's short).
So, while Gallup was asking: What day of the week did Americans prefer? Not a lot of surprise there: Friday topped things out, followed quickly by Saturday, Sunday and — after a steep drop, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and ... Tuesday as the absolute worst day of the week. What's interesting about that is how we apparently love the anticipation of the weekend even more than the experience of the weekend itself.
But anyone working or in school could probably have guessed that, even without a survey!