Is Cuffing Season a Good Time to Meet Someone?

Tis the season… to get into a relationship? Cuffing season is here where single people (hand)”cuff” themselves to a partner so they don’t have to brave the winter (and holiday gatherings) all alone.

What is Cuffing Season?

“Cuffing Season” is the time of year beginning mid-Septemberish when summer has come to an end and single people start looking for relationships. Cuffing season happens because it’s dark and cold and single people don’t want to be the only one without a partner for Thanksgiving/Hanukkah/Christmas/New Years. People who normally are comfortable casually dating more than one person  at a time are too tired and cold to put in the effort. They want to find a partner they can stay cozy and warm together inside. They also don’t want to have the annual conversation with their parents about why they aren’t married yet.

When is Cuffing Season?

Cuffing season begins during the fall and really heats up near Halloween. Starting to date at Halloween is the perfect amount of time to be dating for it to not be awkward to spend the holidays together. Halloween also coincides with daylight savings time which is another incentive to cuff. Plus for girls who were dieting for Halloween this may be their peak body time and they’d really like to put on a sweater, get a boyfriend, and start eating again.

Is Cuffing Season a good time to meet someone?

Yes and no. Both single guys and single girls feel the urge to cuff during cuffing season. This may cause them to commit to a relationship they otherwise wouldn’t have invested time or effort into. This is good in that I don’t think that people give each other a fair shot to get to know one another in today’s dating atmosphere. A lot of people complain that the singles they meet are always looking for the next best thing. This pressure to settle down/couple up may force someone with dating ADHD to focus for a bit and actually get to know someone on a deeper level.

You also run the risk of dating someone who is just trying to avoid being single during the holidays. They may not be as into you as you are into them. It doesn’t feel good to feel like someone is just trying to use you as a filler. Plus no one wants to start their New Year off by being dumped!

Is Cuffing Season also Break Up season?

A  “Turkey Dump” is when couples break up around Thanksgiving. Traditionally a Turkey Dump is when a college student returns home for Thanksgiving and breaks up with their high school boyfriend or girlfriend. You can read more about Turkey Dumps here.

I think Turkey Dumping happens into adulthood as well for a few reasons. The holidays are stressful which can sometimes lead to fighting. If your relationship wasn’t stellar to begin with and you start fighting around Thanksgiving, your significant other may not want to wait around to see another holiday be ruined by bickering. Plus a post-Thanksgiving break-up gives you enough time to get your story together to explain what happened to everyone at Christmas.

A Turkey Dump may also occur to avoid buying the other person a gift for the holidays. If someone is worried that they might not be able to afford a nice gift or their significant other’s expectations for the holidays are too high and they’ll never meet them, they may decide to end the relationship. Either way, the underlying theme is they are just not that into you. If you have been Turkey Dumped or are a Turkey Dumper check out my post The Ultimate Breakup and Recovery Guide.

How can you meet someone during Cuffing Season?

One of the good parts about Cuffing Season is that there are more opportunities to meet people who are ready for a relationship. There’s a plethora of places to find single people this season between Halloween, Friendsgivings, holiday parties, and online dating with dating apps. Check out my post on Free Dating Apps and Dating Apps to Try in 2017 for more ideas on where to start.

I’ve found personally that the time off helps single guys think more seriously about dating, and frees them up to give more time and attention to dating. When you’re at your parents house feeling bored it’s nice to have someone to talk with on a dating app or via text that you can look forward to getting together with when you’re back in town. I’ve had the most success dating typically in January. I think people are ready for a fresh start and want to get serious about finding someone. What do you think?

Happy cuffing!