The cold winter months and holidays make it hard to be alone. After all, fall and winter make the world a darker and more dreary place to be, which makes the need for someone to be with a common theme amongst many people. After all, during this calm and quiet time of the year it’s nice to know you have someone that you can spend time and snuggle with. In fact the urge to find someone during this time of year is so common amongst many people that there is an actual name for it. Cuffing season, is all about finding a partner for those winter months. Affectively cuffing yourself to another person through a serious relationship to help you will away the chill of the loneliness you may feelf just as the weather starts to cool off.
Of course for some this serious relationship status is permanent, for many cuffing season is just a way to keep a short term partner around longer as a warm body to snuggle up with. But why is cuffing season a thing to begin with? Is everyone really on the same page when it comes to it? Well sit back, relax, and take a short break from your dating apps as we give you the run down on cuffing season.
Cuffing Season: What Exactly is it?
Cuffing season refers to set period of time during which people on dating apps tend to shift their focus from casual short terms relationships to slightly longer term relationships. In fact cuff as a term is slang that comes from the word “Handcuffs” in which a person commits themselves to another fully for a period of time.
Cuffing season is when in reaction to the dropping temperatures, and holidays, a persons need for love, emotional connections, and a warm body to snuggle up with seems to rise among other things.
Cuffing Season: When Does it Start, When Does it End?
Whether you use dating apps or not cuffing season has a long range of dates. The beginning tends to be in the beginning of September, just as the weather begins to cool down, and has a tendency to end by the end of February. Many couples tend to break things off just before or after the end of cuffing season. However, if the relationship is still going well by the time you’re in March it may be a good idea to keep things going for a while. After all, even if you go in wanting something only temporary there’s no harm in keeping things going after the colder months of cuffing season ends. Especially if it is going well.
How Did Cuffing Season Originate?
Humans are actually meant to be pack animals, in fact even the most antisocial of us need to be close to others in order to grow, survive, and thrive. So in the colder months, even if it is short term, it only makes sense that we want potential partners to get closer to as we bare against the cold weather.
Although this phenomenon has been around for the long term, the phrase “cuffing season” wasn’t coined until the 2010’s. Which was when many people realized that binging a season of their favorite series in the cold winter months was much more enjoyable with someone else.
Although it was once considered to be nothing more than college jargon, the term cuffing season spread like wild fire across social media and is now considered to be a staple of relationship culture to this day.
Cuffing Season; Why Is This the Season to be Seeking Out a Relationship?
If the cold weather of winter and fall is not a good enough reason to be seeking out a relationship status there are quite a few reasons people choose to find a partner to be in a relationship with during this particular time of the year.
Holidays
Holidays are a joyous and happy time of year where you can be together with the people you love. However it can also be a time of great loneliness, and anxiety especially if you feel as though you’re the only person who is not in a relationship in the room. In fact, many of the most popular holiday traditions bank on the assumption that everyone either is, or is interested in being in a relationship.
Societal Expectations
It’s a common theme for many family get togethers during this time of year. Friends, Grandma, Cousins, Mom, Dad, Siblings, and anyone else. You can always count on the guarantee of them asking one question about your life, and that question is almost always something along the lines of “are you in a relationship”. During the spring and summer this may not be such a bothersome question as those times of the year are seen as being moments of exploration that are great for single people. However by the time autumn begins to make the leaves fall and the earth settles down as the night becomes long, there is a certain expectation that your family and friends have that single people have to cut back on the fun and settle down themselves. If you say you are single or dating around in the spring nobody mentions it again and may even comment on how fun that sounds. However if you don’t get with someone within a week of the warm temperatures leaving you may be treated as if your lack of relationship is sad.
Seasonal Depression
When the Earth seems to become cold and dark, dating someone in a way that feels steady is not just a biological factor but a mental one as well. From October to March, the desire to be with someone can be based on certain biological factors. However, having someone to talk to, watch movies with, and snuggle up against helps to replenish your energy and keep that seasonal depression at bay.
Staying Safe During the Cuffing Season
Dating around and finding someone to snuggle up with during the cold months can be seen as such a priority that many people may run into it with such intensity that they might forget that their safety is more important than the idea of finding a guy or girl to be dating during this time of year. Cuffing season is an intense time of year for the dating scene, and should be treated as such. So take care when dating around and use the following tips to stay safe while you find yourself someone to be cuffed with.
Communication
Don’t be in a rush to be putting on those cuffs before October. It’s important to understand that whether you’re wanting to just have someone to snuggle up with during the winter month or you just happen to be looking for someone to be with long term. It doesn’t take any knowledge in science, that communication is always a necessity for any relationship. Set boundaries with your boyfriend or girlfriend, set a schedule, let them know exactly how you want the relationship to go. If you don’t take the time to communicate with your partner, whether they are temporary or not it can make it easier for them to take advantage of you.
Another important aspect of communication is honesty. Whether you are dating a girl, boy, or someone away from the binary. It’s important to be honest with them about everything regarding the relationship. Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to tell them the truth about everything, however you need to let them know what you’re meaning to take place with the relationship. Where your values line up, whether or not you consider October to March to be a more long lasting spicy session, and more. You can even use this to help create rules about the relationship with them as well as a way to explain how you can simply stick together to keep yourselves from feeling lonely during this time. Just remember that you’re not just putting up rules for them for the duration of the relationship, but for yourself as well. So if you break them make sure to put yourself on the hook as well as your money where your mouth is because boundaries go both ways.
Long Term Dating to Avoid Feeling Lonely?
Cuffing Season may be a relatively new term, however the idea of finding someone to spend the winter with is nothing new at all. After all, as pack animals we crave interaction with one another. For many the relationships found in cuffing season tend to end as the weather starts to get warmer. However, for some the relationship continues to go strong.
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