Dry January

In 2011, writers John Ore and Jolie Kerr wrote a humorous article for the website The Awl about what they called Drynuary, where they would challenge each other to avoid drinking alcohol during the entire month of January. In a 2014 article on Deadspin, Kerr said that Ore came up with the idea for Drynuary as a result of a dare.

This word is a blend of January and dry, which here means “not drinking alcohol.” Reasons for participating in Drynuary vary, but it is generally motivated by a desire to take a break from alcohol after all the indulgences of the holidays. Drynuary can also be connected to New Year’s resolutions centered on weight loss and self-improvement.

Independently of Ore and Kerr, a similar idea was the focus of a campaign called Dry January organized by the group Alcohol Change UK (formerly called Alcohol Concern UK) in the United Kingdom. Alcohol Change UK says the first official Dry January was held in 2013. Their campaign actively recruits people to give up alcohol for a month. By 2018, millions of people were participating every year.

By the end of the 2010s, both Dry January and Drynuary gained wider awareness thanks to media coverage. John Ore and Drynuary were featured in a 2016 New York Times article. In the UK, Dry January has been highlighted yearly by the BBC and The Independent.