When October begins, lots of things change—the temperature drops, the color of leaves change, sweaters and fuzzy blankets come out, cafés release their fall drinks, and contented singles suddenly want to be “cuffed up” with someone. In other words, cuffing season is here and no, it has nothing to do with getting arrested or Fifty Shades of Grey.
Cuffing season is the period from October to March when singles, usually pretty content about their “singleness,” begin wanting to be in a relationship. Emily Teague, a licensed clinical social worker in Murfreesboro, said that cuffing season as a concept makes sense.
“During colder months and holidays, we tend to be indoors and around people more. Understandably, this leads people to crave community and partnership more,” said Teague. “Most people also associate the holidays with ‘love.’ So, to seek love and partnership during this time makes sense.”
In terms of safety, Dr. Eric Clark, Medical Director of Middle Tennessee State University, said that when it comes to the dating part, spending some time getting to know the other person in the safest way possible is important, especially during a pandemic.
“From the standpoint of COVID-19, it sure is nice to get to know somebody for a while before you get too close to them,” said Dr. Clark.
Dr. Clark suggested virtual dates for the first few meetings as a safeguard. When both parties are ready to meet each other, they should avoid crowded spots. “The more outdoor, the better. It’s harder to catch things that way.”
Freya Cartwright, a law student at Belmont University, recently went on a virtual date with a guy she met on Bumble, a dating app. Cartwright said that while the date itself didn’t go well—her date didn’t turn on his camera and he turned out to be a felon—she said that she was a fan of virtual dates.
“I’m a huge fan of virtual dates. Like I’m really glad that our first date was virtual because I would not have felt comfortable being face to face with him and learning something like that. And I feel like even after the pandemic is over, I’m probably gonna wanna do virtual first dates just to screen them and weed out the crazy ones,” Cartwright said.
Speaking of meeting potential partners through dating apps, Sang Lee, a Bumble spokesperson, said that there has been a noticeable change in the way their community connects with others since the outbreak of COVID-19.
“In the United States alone, we’ve seen nearly a 70% uptick in the number of voice calls and video chats on Bumble during the week ending in May, compared to the week ending March 13, when the State of Emergency was declared in the United States,” said Lee. “The average voice and video call time has been close to 30 minutes, which also tells us that people are having more quality conversations and spending more time getting to know each other through these video ‘pre-dates.’”
Like Cartwright, Lucia Hurtado, a senior at MTSU, is a fan of virtual dates. When Hurtado contracted the virus back in March, she was forced to quarantine for a long time and didn’t see her boyfriend for almost two months. Hurtado said virtual dates were the only way she and her boyfriend were able to stay connected.
Besides virtual dates, more and more couples are opting for outdoor dates because it provides them more opportunities to social distance. For instance, dates for Hurtado and her boyfriend right now consist of going outside and playing when it rains and having a competitive game of badminton.
Similarly, for Sophia Luangrath and Naidaniel Nelper, a couple who met during the pandemic, instead of meeting for a coffee or dinner for a first date, they improvised and spent the day taking pictures of cool places and things in Nashville, something that both of them enjoy doing in their spare time.
Going back to the topic of safely going on dates during a pandemic, Luangrath said she and Nelper have gotten into the habit of always wearing their face masks everywhere they go and following the social distancing guidelines. According to Luangrath, it’s the simple things they do that make their dates meaningful.
“When we go to the grocery store, I get excited. Whenever he’s like, ‘I gotta do some errands,’ I go with him even if it’s just in the car. I used to be the going-out-date kinda person, but I’m starting to personalize the dates more,” said Luangrath.
Being single and ready to mingle during cuffing season is hard. It’s even harder to be one during a pandemic where uncertainty is at its highest and you have to wear a face mask and social distance on a first date. With that said, it’s not impossible at all to find that person. Safety should always be top priority and remember, dates don’t always have to be in fancy restaurants. Sometimes, dates could be letting your inner child out and dancing in the rain, walking on trails, hiking, going on picnics, doing a mini photoshoot, or even just grocery shopping. After all, what matters the most is the memories you make and who you make them with.
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