NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) By Elle McLogan
Elle McLogan of CBS TV New York interviews relationship expert Susan Winter on finding love during Cuffing Season on The Dig.
As temperatures cool, some are kissing their summer flings goodbye in search of deeper commitment.
October marks the start of “cuffing season,” a time of year when singles purportedly look to “cuff” or attach to a romantic partner. The term was popularized on Twitter in the early 2010s and cemented into lexicon through rap music, including Fabolous’s 2013 track “Cuffin Season.”
Autumn is an increasingly favored time for tying the knot—the most popular wedding date this year was Saturday, October 7.
But are we really more inclined to look for love as the leaves change color? Romance expert Susan Winter says yes. “You’ll notice at the end of summer, the free-for-all, open sexuality, and ‘I don’t want to be tied down’ shifts to cuffing season,” she said.
One student agreed. “Because it’s the beginning of a school year, people are starting to get into relationships again,” he said. “In the wintertime, you want to cuddle with people and just watch Netflix.”
If you happen to find yourself unhappily single in a sea of couples, fear not. “Take a look at some of the groups and collections of people that meet with like-minded interests—anything from comic books to photography,” Winter said. “If you do an activity that you like, then you’re edifying yourself. And if you meet somebody, great, and if you don’t, you still had a good time.”
According to Winter, if you prioritize your own fulfillment and well-being, the benefits are manifold. Self-love is “like catnip,” she said. “They just come to you because you’ve got something going on.”
In her view, once you’ve built a satisfying independent life, you just may find that you prefer to be single.
