Cuffing Season Is Here Connecticut So What Does it Mean?

Ah, it's that time of year again. Fall is coming to an end, we've stuffed ourselves with Thanksgiving leftovers, and we're officially prepping for the rest of the holiday season and winter weather. Before you know it, Valentine's Day will be here.

With this time of year comes a different style of dating for so many.

It's called "cuffing season," and it traditionally runs from Thanksgiving through Valentine's Day. However, for some, it may even last into springtime before you end the companionship.

According to the Today Show, cuffing season is the time of year when single people or those who aren't in a committed relationship ramp up their search for someone to date. Someone to take you through the holidays, keep you warm during those cold winter nights of snuggling under blankets and watching movies, into that delicious Valentine's Day dinner, and maybe even enjoy that first taste of spring.

However, cuffing season relationships are generally temporary, just to get through the busy Christmas and New Year parties and the dreary winter months.  Apparently, the concept has been gaining steam since a 2022 Saturday Night Live skit called "Big Boys."

According to People Magazine, although this dating phenomenon isn't really new, it was officially named "cuffing season" in the early 2010s to describe the time of year when people feel pressured to couple up. For some, it actually begins when those first leaves fall.

But it's meant to be a temporary relationship. You may even know he or she isn't the one for you almost immediately, but you wait until the weather warms to end the relationship because that's when the cuffing season ends.

It's even in the Merriam-Webster dictionary now.

Cuffing season refers to a period of time where single people begin looking for short term partnerships to pass the colder months of the year. Cuffing season usually begins in October and lasts until just after Valentines Day. The use of the word cuff references handcuffs, but is slang in the same vein as "hooking up" or "getting hitched."

It's also rooted in biology. According to People, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is essentially seasonal depression, happens in our colder, more dreary months and has many singles seeking romance and connection to feel better until the spring and summer arrive filled with warmth and sunny days.