Cuffing season

Cuffing season is typically defined as the time of year when single people actively search for short-term romantic partners to spend the colder months with, typically (in Northern Hemisphere locations) from October through March, culminating with Valentine's Day.^[1] The term "cuff" is slang that alludes to handcuffs and means metaphorically to attach oneself to another individual.^[1]

Cuffing season usually commences at the start of autumn when the weather starts to become prohibitively cold for outdoor activities.^[2] The lack of sunlight, outdoors, and warmth may lead some single people to become lonely and desperate.^[1] In addition, being in a relationship in the winter months allows for companionship during holidays.^[3][4] The rise of dating apps like Tinder further contributed to the phenomenon.^[1] However, engaging in such a relationship with a superficial basis may lead to emotional drama for some people in the long term.^[5]

There is no evidence that cuffing season has a biological basis, but psychological factors likely exist.^[2] It is possible that there may be hormone changes during winter that relate to the phenomenon.^[4][6] The colder temperatures and darker days may affect melatonin and serotonin levels which theoretically could affect one's mood in a way that leads to cuffing.^[7] According to Facebook data, people often change their relationship status to "in a relationship" between October and February, and a significant number change it back to "single" in March.^[2] One study from The Girls Chase found that two out of three cuffed partnerships end by June.^[6]