Will Cuffing Season Last Longer This Year?

When the dictionary adds it, you know it's a thing now.

Starting as early as the first fall leaves for some and the holidays for others, this dating style has grown in popularity, at least by name. But let's be honest, the action isn't new at all.

According to the Today Show, "Cuffing Season" is that time of year when single people or those who aren't in a committed relationship ramp up their search for someone to date during the colder months of the year, with the holidays being a key component to avoid loneliness.

From holiday festivities straight out of a rom-com to cuddling on the couch and watching movies during winter nights, this is the lonelier part of the year.

Apparently, the concept of cuffing season has been gaining steam since a 2022 Saturday Night Live skit called "Big Boys." However, according to People Magazine, this dating phenomenon was officially named cuffing season in the early 2010s to describe the time of year when people feel pressured to couple up.

Here's how the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it.

A period of time where single people begin looking for short term partnerships to pass the colder months of the year. Cuffing season usually begins in October and lasts until just after Valentines Day. The use of the word cuff references handcuffs, but is slang in the same vein as "hooking up" or "getting hitched."

Cuffing season relationships are generally temporary just to get through the busy Christmas and New Year parties into January. For some, cuffing season ends before Valentine's Day, while others figure why not get through February.

But are people pro-longing cuffing season since loneliness has become an epidemic?

According to NPR, an epidemic of loneliness in the United States started before COVID-19, when half of U.S. adults were experiencing measurable levels of loneliness.

It's also rooted in biology.

According to People, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is essentially seasonal depression, happens in our colder, more dreary months and has many singles seeking romance and connection to feel better until the spring and summer arrive filled with warmth and sunny days. 

That all said, it appears cuffing season for many continues into Springtime now because that's when warmer weather that fills us with joy and anticipation for summer starts to take over, increasing happy endorphins.