When the Event Ends

This paper deals with a common but not thoroughly researched sociopsychological phenomenon, the post-event blues. Post-event blues is a sudden drop in mood, a feeling of lethargy and sadness after a long-awaited, happy event. Many psychological websites and blogs refer to this phenomenon by various names, but a common name and definition have yet to be developed. This article aims to fill this gap, based on a short empirical survey among participants of a Hungarian festival (Fekete Zaj) and the collection of mentioned blogs and websites. It also explores some of the sociopsychological reasons behind the blues in the Hungarian setting, its characteristics and effects, and presents the coping mechanisms suggested in these sources, with the aim of bringing this topic into scientific discussion.