Valentine’s Day! It’s synonymous with flowers, chocolates and… the end of cuffing season? There are a lot of opinions surrounding this term, whether it is believed to be a genuine pattern, or just pointless chatter. I’ve always been intrigued by the concept of cuffing season because I have noticed a pattern between not only my own relationships, but also those of my friends. It seemed that a lot of people were in relationships during the colder seasons, especially the holidays, and by Valentine’s Day, it seemed like everyone I knew was giving candy hearts and sweet cards to someone else. So, was this mythical “cuffing season” really a thing? And what did other people think? I took it upon myself to dig into this concept of “cuffing season” by sending out a short survey, and found some interesting patterns.
First, a quick recap on the idea of cuffing season. There is a belief that during the colder months, people tend to get into relationships with one another. Merriam-Webster defines cuffing season specifically as beginning, “in October and last[ing] until just after Valentine’s Day.” In the survey, people responded similarly, with votes starting to climb up in October, spiking in November and December, then tapering off towards February.
I also surveyed people about when they got into relationships to see if there was any correlation between these so-called “cuffing season months” and times when people actually did get into relationships. Perhaps, it was just a perception of seeing people coupled up, not a reality. However, interestingly enough, the survey did report the highest numbers of people getting into relationships in the months of December and February.
There were also a lot of interesting and contrasting opinions about cuffing season. Many of those who believed that cuffing season was a phenomenon felt that it was warranted due to the loneliness of the winter but felt that getting into a relationship for the season led to superficial relationships. Others didn’t see its relevance and correlation at all!
Personally, I believe that the specificity of the holidays that take place in and around cuffing season lend themselves to a unique set of questions and challenges that are posed between the months of October and February. Questions surrounding couples costumes during Halloween, gifts around the winter holidays and the decision of whether or not to introduce a significant other to your family, ending with the grand gestures around Valentine’s Day.
Regardless of whether or not cuffing season has any objective merit, the discourse around it is incredibly interesting! Have you noticed a pattern around cuffing season with yourself and your social group?