Each year when fall rolls around, talk of the millennial-coined term “cuffing season,” begins circulating almost instantly. Despite the blatant reference to being jailed, “cuffing” refers to the process of entering a serious relationship during the prime season beginning late summer and well into winter, allegedly. The main idea is that relationships that begin during cuffing season are solidified by the holidays – when relatives will likely inquire about your relationship status – culminate at Valentine’s Day, and play out during the rest of the year. In terms of being referenced annually, cuffing season has maintained its relevance within our generation but the question of whether or not people look for relationships during one time of year only brings the legitimacy of the season into question.
If you typically seek a partner with whom you can watch endless Christmas movies and falling snow from beneath a giant blanket once it gets cold, then cuffing season is probably extremely pertinent to you. Those who actively look to be “cuffed” during the winter, more so than other times of the year, attribute this desire to wanting someone to cuddle with when it’s cold and take couple-y, holiday themed pictures, in addition to seeking a partner in general. Those who prefer beach days and bonfires may search for a summer fling while home from school, opposed to taking part in cuffing season rituals on campus. Essentially, it comes down to an individual’s preference in relationship-centered activities.
One thing that can be safely assumed about the SO searching season, though, is that its alignment with the beginning of a new school year is no coincidence. Once we flock back to campus for the fall semester, summer flings and at-home hookups, exclusive of long-term significant others, are more or less forgotten. While these relationships may reignite over breaks and during the following summer, most look for a steady, at-school relationship to replace these upon move-in day. Thus, cuffing season indefinitely commences.
The term “cuffing season” will likely retain its relevance while the generation that coined it remains on a traditional school year schedule, continues to take part in summer romances, and seeks cold weather cuddles. Once we all graduate and move on to jobs that don’t allow for an extended summer vacation, there’s no telling if a certain chill in the air will still ignite our desire for a boyfriend or girlfriend to a further extent.