By Claire Stott, Badoo Data Analyst and Dating Expert
Cuffing season is pretty much here, and whilst some of you will be knowingly nodding your head (or rolling your eyes), the rest of you will be wondering what on earth it is, and whether or not you should be panicking.
Luckily, it’s not as scary as its name suggests, but it can affect your online dating experience.
What Is Cuffing Season?
According to the ever-credible source Urban Dictionary: cuffing season is the period during the autumn and winter months, where people who would normally rather be single find themselves wanting to be "cuffed" or tied down by a serious relationship.
Why Cuffing Season Is A Real Thing
We can all empathise, right? Cold weather and significant periods of time spent watching Netflix alone under a blanket make us crave those winter cuddles and romantic nights in.
It got me thinking… is cuffing season really a thing, or is it just another piece of dating slang?
Evidence Supporting Cuffing Season
In contrast to other dating myths, there is some evidence in support of cuffing season.
Matches increase a whopping 105% for women and 58% for men in the winter compared to the summer months. So single people are definitely dating more proactively in winter.
There’s some evolutionary science to this too - in our hunter-gatherer days, people who coupled up in the harsh winters had better survival rates due to additional help in gathering food.
Today’s equivalent would probably be sharing a Deliveroo and splitting the cost, but still, it’s better than going out in the rain to buy groceries. It’s no surprise then that even today, the highest birth rates are from July to September...
Why Cuffing Season Shouldn’t Change How You Date
The important thing to remember is to approach cuffing season positively - don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get a date in time for Christmas.
You might see lots of your friends getting together with people in October or November, but don’t feel like you have to try to find someone just because they are.
It pays off in the long run to have a ‘what will be, will be’ approach to dating (and this is in general, not just in winter) because it’s often when you are completely confident in who you are, and sure of what you want that romance strikes.
As a rule of thumb then, I’d encourage you to enjoy the colder months as you normally would with friends, and date online whenever you feel like it.
Use apps whenever you want to, not because you feel you need to.
Seize all the opportunities that come your way - say yes to the extra mince pies, yes to the gatherings, and yes to the dates.
And remember, the winter months are actually a fantastic time to be single. You get some space to decide what you want to achieve in the year ahead, and how someone new might fight into your plans.
Learn ways to get more matches to ensure you’ve got plenty of choice for cuffing season.
