Frohen Montag, liebe Deutschlernende!
Bist du bei der Arbeit, in der Schule, oder… machst du heute blau? 
Was bedeutet das eigentlich?
When it’s a normal work or school day but you’re just not feeling up for it today, and you’d rather stay at home and chill out instead - in German that’s called “blaumachen” (to make blue).
Why blue and not yellow, pink or green? Well, it is said that back when fabrics were often dyed by hand, the dyers would put their fabrics in a dye bath on Sundays and then on Mondays hang them out to dry. When the chemicals from the dye came into contact with the air, the fabric turned blue, so these days became known as “Blue Mondays”. While waiting for their fabrics to be ready, the dyers had nothing else to do. Blue Mondays were essentially days off.
How is it used today?
Here’s an example:
”Ich kann mir kein langes Wochenende freinehmen, ich habe am Montag eine wichtige Besprechung.”
(I can’t take a long weekend off, I have an important meeting on Monday.)
”Könntest du nicht blau machen?”
(Can’t you just call in sick?)
What excuses have you heard from someone who has “blau gemacht”?
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