“He’s Now My Seafood Hookup”: 5 Women On How Their Last Cuffing Season Relationship Went

Winter is long, and having cuddles on tap sounds quite nice. Hence cuffing season: the period when people “cuff” another into a relationship for the colder months. Sometimes we cuff or get cuffed consciously, other times less so — you may be cuffed and not realise the other person’s intentions. Either way, something about this time of year makes us want to shack up and be cosy with someone else.

This feels like a lot of work, to find someone now and put in the effort for a relationship that will probably end with the change in seasons. Some research has put it down to a desire to avoid feeling lonely — as many as 60% of people turn to dating apps in winter for this reason. Where summer can be socially full-on and active, the prospect of an emptier calendar during winter might make swiping for dates more attractive. Bumble found in September this year that 37% of people see autumn as the season of romance, with Gen Z in particular keen to find love this cuffing season. 44% of people on the app are seeking something serious and committed this winter.

Like all relationships, some end horribly, others are over as quickly as they began and some manage to go the distance, like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Ahead, Refinery29 spoke to five women about their own cuffing season relationships — how they went, how they ended (or didn’t), and how they felt about it.