“Cuffing season,” a term first documented by Urban Dictionary in 2011, refers to a psychological phenomenon where people are more inclined to search for romantic partners during cold weather months. From late fall to early winter, colder temperatures trigger a biological need for connection, compelling people to enter new relationships.
Since these behaviors are triggered seasonally, relationships formed during cuffing season are often short term. The slang inherently has a negative connotation, due to the suggestion that people “handcuff” themselves to a partner out of a feeling of necessity.
That being said, there’s no shame in wanting to hold someone during the winter months. Between the social stigma that we shouldn’t spend the holidays alone and reduced levels of the “feel good” hormone, serotonin, there are many reasons why coupling up is more appealing during the winter season, whether you’re in college in the dorms or retired looking for someone to relax on the couch with. Hallmark Channel’s holiday and Valentine’s (Loveuary) movies are perhaps the ultimate media push for cuffing.
Dana Savage, a freshman at the University of Oregon, says, “I think that around the holidays is like, for anyone, sort of portrayed as when you’re supposed to get into a relationship, and I don’t know if it’s necessarily a stigma or if people just want to be in relationships when it’s cold.”
Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression triggered by seasons and environmental factors, often referred to as the “winter blues.” Reduced levels of daylight hours and harsh weather conditions can affect the brain’s chemical balance, causing individuals to lose motivation, feel more lonely and seek regulation through intimacy.
Behavioral neuroscientist Stephanie Cacioppo, an instructor in psychiatry at the UO, didn’t respond to requests for an interview about cuffing season but did talk to the University of Chicago Medicine in 2019 about the impact of loneliness around Valentine’s Day.
“Being alone for dinner on Valentine’s Day is not the same as being lonely; one can be physically alone and mentally with someone by thinking of their beloved, keeping their beloved in photographs or having dinner with their beloved via video chat,” she says.
“In turn, one may feel extremely lonely while having dinner with an estranged partner on Valentine’s Day. Finally, one may seek solitude on Valentine’s Day and be extremely happy alone (both mentally and physically).”
It may seem like our desire for connection isn’t seasonal, but many people are determined to find love in the new year or race to find a partner before Valentine’s Day.
According to data from dating apps like Bumble, Hinge and Tinder, the most profiles are created in light of the New Year, throughout January and February. The first Sunday of the year is often the peak day for these platforms — referred to as “Dating Sunday.”
Marin Jones, another UO freshman, says, “I think a lot of times people expect you to be in a relationship and make assumptions about you if you’re not in a relationship.”
That’s not to say entering a relationship is the secret to surviving winter. With the emergence of dating apps, loneliness can feel curable, but in reality, this only satiates our short-term need for connection. If expectations aren’t managed carefully, these short-term relationships can lead to emotional strife that will add an extra bite to the already cold season.
“While it’s nice to have somebody during the winter months, sometimes, at least just for me, it can be a drag. It can be like being handcuffed,” Dylan Morrissette, a UO junior, says. “There’s just a general stigma about being single or being with somebody and sometimes when it’s around the holidays, it’s like, is this just a cuffing season relationship or is this an actual thing?”
It can be hard to know if your partner is in it for the long haul or simply trying to get their needs met for the cold season. No one wants to be dragged along to a Christmas party for their second or third date. In some cases, these seasonal flings can turn into long-term relationships that survive the cold and blossom through spring. If a relationship starts around the colder months and is rooted in exploring a deep emotional connection, nothing is stopping it from progressing throughout the year, even cuffing season.
In our evolutionary past, entering intimate relationships was an adaptive trait our ancestors formed to survive the harsh winter months. We as human beings are not only biologically wired to seek out relationships during cuffing season, but societally encouraged to. So, if you find yourself going through a breakup this spring, odds are you aren’t the only one.