Israel's brief winter season subtly reshapes dating habits and emotional readiness for relationships, according to data published by the dating app OkCupid this month.
Analyzing responses to its in-app matchmaking questions, OkCupid found that 57% of single Israelis prefer a date at a café or restaurant during the colder months. The desire for warm, comfortable spaces is driving people indoors, where conversations can unfold without rain or wind interfering.
Although the Israeli winter is short, it evokes strong emotions. According to the data, many users report heightened loneliness, a desire for connection, and a hope of finding someone to share the season with.
These emotional shifts are reflected in activity preferences. Just 5% of users said they would opt for a gallery or museum date in winter, and only 17% were open to a walk. The overwhelming preference for indoor settings highlights how Israelis adapt their dating practices in response to colder weather.
‘Winter can accelerate the desire to find a partner’
When asked whether the changing seasons influence romantic feelings, nearly a third of OkCupid users reported that their preferred dating season depends on their mood, whereas 46% preferred summer. Still, 24% named winter as the most romantic season, citing the cold weather’s ability to evoke closeness and comfort.
“There is something about the cold that invites the search for the warmth of human connection,” said Hedi Axelrad, a marriage and family counselor and lecturer in the Master’s in Family Studies program at the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo.
She added that “the inwardness [of winter] encourages internal accountability and a desire to move forward and improve what we feel is missing in our lives.”
“Winter can accelerate the desire to find a partner, and the motivation to do what it takes to achieve it,” Axelrad continued. “We can use winter to remind ourselves of how warm and cozy a relationship is – emotionally – and to generate within ourselves the energy we seek and need to walk the journey toward the desired goal.”
Cold weather brings people closer – literally
Contrary to the assumption that people become withdrawn during winter, OkCupid’s survey shows otherwise. A full 61% of users reported that the weather does not affect their desire to date or pursue a relationship, whereas 32% reported that winter increases that desire.
Only 3% reported feeling less inclined to date when temperatures drop.
Even when it comes to physical comfort, the data revealed that over half of OkCupid users prefer slightly colder weather to hotter conditions – noting that when it’s cold, “you get physically closer to other people.” In contrast, when it’s hot, people tend to move apart.
In the end, winter might not close people off – it may open the door to deeper connection.