We at #Dating make sure we know everything there is to know about modern dating. We are here to guide you all through the highs and lows of love and romance, and this means filling you in on new dating terms.
The dating term ‘snowmanning’ is pretty new, but we think that it is more common than you would think! So what is snowmanning, has it happened to you, and what are our tips to avoid getting snowmanned this winter?
Check out our complete guide to online dating terms so you can date with absolute confidence.
What is snowmanning?
Has your romantic winter started to feel a bit lukewarm? Has the new match that you connected with over the festive season become as elusive as the Yeti?
Well, you may be suffering from snowmanning!
Yes, this new dating term describes a relationship that is full of passion and romance throughout the winter, but as festivities end, the relationship melts. You know when the snow starts to melt and turns into that grey sludge at the side of the road as the temperature warms? Yeah, that’s a little bit how snowmanning feels. It kind of sucks and you kind of feel silly.
You may have kissed your date under the mistletoe this winter, but when the mistletoe has been taken down, your date is nowhere to be seen. The passion has fizzled out, the decorations have been put away, and the January blues set in. Your match does not want to see you, and maybe you feel a bit distant from them, too.
Snowmanning can be doubly brutal when it is paired with ghosting. This is where someone ends a relationship by ignoring texts and stops taking calls. It is sudden, hurtful, and makes you feel confused and upset. Ghosting will sometimes happen alongside snowmanning when it occurs in the months of January and February.
What causes snowmanning?
In order to avoid snowmanning, it is really useful to understand what causes it. Of course, you can never really predict it, because dating can be difficult. But, knowing why snowmanning happens could help you spot the signs.
Cuffing season
Cuffing season occurs in the autumn and winter months and it is when people start coupling up or seeking out new romances. People who usually love being single start seeking out a more solid relationship and enjoy a romantic winter.
The cold weather definitely is a factor in cuffing season. Who doesn’t love cozying up during the dark, winter months? But, unfortunately, this means that cuffing season doesn’t last. When the weather gets a bit warmer, those who found comfort in a new relationship will soon be looking forward to a summer of love, free and single.
This means that those who found themselves cuffed in the wintertime might soon find themselves snowmanned in the spring.
The festive season
Even if you are single, happy, and content, there is something about the holiday season that kind of makes you want to be in a relationship. Maybe it is because you are seeing your extended family who always love to ask about your dating life. Or maybe it is because there is something pretty romantic about watching the fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Whatever the reason is, we can agree that dating in winter is pretty cute!
Kissing under the mistletoe and the classic New Years’ Eve midnight kiss are all a big part of our holiday culture, and when there is nobody to kiss, you feel left out. This means that the festive season makes you really want to kiss someone cute and have a romantic winter.
The parties and the holidays mean that people might get carried away and find themselves throwing themselves into a new relationship without actually thinking about things. This means that when the festivities are over, people might realize that they aren’t actually into this person and thus snowmanning occurs.
Social events and parties
Because the winter season is full of social events and parties, ‘normal’ dating kind of goes out the window. Of course, there is no such thing as ‘normal’ dating and everyone goes at their own pace, but the holiday period means that people who usually take things slow will throw themselves into a romantic relationship.
During November and December, there’s usually a lot of parties. Your friends and family will all host dinners and drinks, and why wouldn’t your new match come along?! You like them, and they like you, right?
But, meeting friends and family is actually a pretty big step in a relationship. Maybe you brought your new match along to all your social events and parties, but would you have done that if it wasn’t the festive season?
It is easy to get carried away by a romantic winter, but this means that you might not actually learn everything you need to learn about your date. You may fancy them and find them funny, but it is really important to know them on a much deeper level. If you are rushing into things you are at risk of snowmanning. Now that the festivities are over, either you or your date might realize that you don’t have much in common. You might feel as if the passion isn’t there and that there is no real future for you both.
How to avoid snowmanning
Okay, we now know what snowmanning is and what causes it. But, what can we do to avoid snowmanning?
Since we’ve entered the New Year, you may have already fallen victim to snowmanning this winter. To avoid this, you really need to think about how you’re entering relationships before the holidays or even in the fall, right before the winter cold sets in. If you read our article on the cuffing season, then hopefully you were prepared to avoid snowmanning this winter. But if not, it’s never too late to learn from our mistakes and be better prepared for next time!
Take it slow
A really important thing to be mindful of when dating in winter is the speed that you and your date are going at. The holiday season is really fun and there are lots of events and occasions where romance can blossom.
Because of the festivities and the fun, romance can happen pretty fast! It can be easy to get carried away by a romantic winter, but this means that you might not really know your date at all. Because of this, now, when the festive season is over, snowmanning might occur.
To form a healthy and long-lasting relationship, it is really useful to take things slow, especially over the holidays. Dating in winter sometimes feels like you are in a rom-com, with the mistletoe and the fireworks! But, when the credits roll, what happens next?
Slow it down a bit and don’t throw everything into the relationship. This means that when January rolls around, you are still moving forward together with new and exciting things to do together.
Get to know your date
Snowmanning often will occur when two people don’t actually know each other that well, but rather are each other’s comfort over the winter months. This is fine if both of you signed up for this kind of relationship, but not so good if one of you is looking for a long-term romance!
To avoid snowmanning, make sure you take the time to get to know your date properly. What are they wanting from the relationship? Plus, are they really a match for you?!
Spend time with your date talking about life, love, and the universe. Do you have the same hobbies and interests? Are you both on the same page when it comes to dealbreakers, such as politics or religion?
When we properly get to know our date, we can work on creating a long-lasting relationship and therefore avoid snowmanning. If you don’t know each other and don’t put the effort in to get to know each other, there will be no strong foundations for your relationship when the festivities are over.
Also, it might be a bit difficult, but it would be useful to get to know your date’s dating history. If they seem to always get into relationships over the winter months and then find themselves single in spring, this might be a red flag for snowmanning. Serial snowmen exist!
Know your expectations
It doesn’t matter what time of year romance blossoms for you, it is always really important to know your expectations. Sometimes a winter romance can just be that, a winter romance, but sometimes it can be the start of a long-lasting love!
What are you wanting from your winter dating life? Are you looking for something serious out of cuffing season?
It can be fun to go with the flow, but doing this can cause heartbreak and disappointment in the long run. If you are dating someone, make sure that you know your expectations and what you want out of your dating life.
It is great to have honest and open conversations with the people you are dating. What are they expecting out of the romance, and what are their boundaries? This means that, when the spring comes around, you and your date are both in a much better position to deal with whatever happens.
Spend time with friends and family
Of course, the winter season is romantic, but it is also about spending time with your friends and family! Snowmanning will often happen when you and your date are spending too much time together over the holiday period, and then feel a bit weird when all the festivities end.
It is nice to enjoy a winter romance, but it is important to spend time with people other than your date. Go to parties and events with your friends and family and have fun enjoying the company of your loved ones! It can be tempting to invite your new love, but they can sit out of this one. Spending too much time with them and introducing them to your friends and family might be a bit intense. And, unfortunately, intensity can lead to snowmanning.
If snowmanning does occur, spending time with your loved ones will make you feel better. Hopefully, your holiday memories and photographs aren’t flooded with pictures of your winter fling. Nobody likes to feel as if they have wasted all the holiday season on a romance that goes nowhere, so be sure to make memories with your loved ones during the festivities.
Your friends and family are always there for you, through the cuffing season and the snowmanning season! Enjoy the holidays with them so you are okay if your romantic winter doesn’t go anywhere.
Know yourself
Finally, we think that knowing yourself and what you want is important when it comes to dating and love. Dating is fun and there are so many adventures to be had, but looking after yourself and knowing who you are and what you want from the world is really important to be happy.
Snowmanning sucks, but unfortunately, it does happen. People are unpredictable and you may have taken things slow and followed our advice, but still, your date has vanished in the new year. You can never really know what your date wants, and maybe they don’t know what they want either!
So, to bounce back and deal with snowmanning, it is useful to keep on being you and working on yourself. Dates may come and go, and you may find yourself let down by your new romance. However, you will always be here, and so will your amazingness! Don’t forget to keep on doing what you love, even if you are having a winter romance. Follow your passions, your dreams, and spend time on your hobbies. This means that, if snowmanning does happen, you are still content with who you are and where you are in your life.
Enjoy a winter romance, but watch out for snowmen!
Wintertime can be super fun and very romantic. It is a great time to meet new people and find someone that is perfect for you. But of course, snowmen are everywhere during the winter months!
We hope that with this advice, you can enjoy a winter romance without running the risk of being disappointed. Try to avoid the snowmen, but if you find that your date melts when the weather gets warmer, shake them off and move on!
