Winter date ideas: find a love to keep you warm

Cuddly couple in warm clothes

Cold winds are creeping in, just as the long daylight hours creep out. There are even flurries of snow on the horizon. Yes, there’s little doubt that winter is on its merry way and with it several months of chilly mornings and frosty nights, conditions that don’t typically scream romance.

Yet, there’s no need to hibernate! If you know where to look and, if you’re armed with the right winter date ideas, it turns out that this can actually be an incredible time of year to look for love.

Reading this in the summer? Make the most of our summer date ideas!

1. Get outdoors (it’s beautiful out there!)

Throughout the next few months, Canada is as close as it gets to a winter wonderland, featuring mountain sports, sleigh rides under the northern lights, ice-skating along frozen canals and more. Indeed, with so many winter date ideas on offer, the hardest part won’t be the temperature, it will be choosing which beautiful (and wildly romantic) option to pick next! The great news is, whatever you choose, you’re on to a good thing. This is because getting out in the cold has another benefit – boosted endorphins, which serve to make you and your date feel that much happier.1 How perfect!

2. Stay in (it’s freezing out!)

Endorphins might come from being out in the wintry cold, but then again, there is a lot to be said for feeling cozy. In fact, an advertising study linked feelings of cosiness to happiness (and even mild arousal),2 which is fairly ideal if you are on a date! What’s more, as winter date ideas go, staying inside and keeping warm has to be one of the easiest options on this list. To get maximum cozy points, try and make this date a step above just another night at home – think warm socks, a crackling fire and a good bottle of red wine). Do the indoor date right and you won’t even notice the howling winds and driving snows outside.

3. Get cosy over coffee

Of course, cosiness isn’t something that has to take place at home. One example of a popular, out-and-about encounter that also happens to be pretty cosy is the classic coffee date. Offering snug surroundings that lend themselves to a great first date conversation, coffee makes an engaging choice no matter what the weather – but it really comes into its own in winter. There’s just something extra inviting about a warm, convivial cafe when it’s freezing outside. Perhaps this is why it is eternally popular – 42.5% of men and 60.5% of women chose coffee as their perfect first date in an ELITESINGLES members’ survey.3

4. It’s hockey season!

On the subject of classic dates, it would be fairly tricky to imagine a list of winter date ideas in Canada that didn’t include at least one mention of hockey. Indeed, clichéd as it might be, heading to a hockey game is a way to create pretty perfect first date conditions. Not only does watching sport elevate testosterone levels4 (which will give you a well-timed confidence boost5), the buzzing hockey atmosphere is bound to make your time together feel exciting. Furthermore, sharing the thrills and spills of a game is a great way to bond with your date (although you may want to suss out their hockey allegiances first!).

5. The most wonderful time of the year

We’re no humbugs here at EliteSingles; we believe that Christmas is one of the most romantic times of the year. We’ve even made a festive Spotify® playlist of Christmas love songs to get us all in the mood!

It shouldn’t be surprising then, that we think a great winter date idea is to see what seasonal festivities are on near you. From December markets where you can wander with your date and warm up with mulled wine, seasonal film screenings where you can bond over your favourite Christmas movies, Canada is awash with ways to fall in love this winter. All it takes is joining EliteSingles (and perhaps a bit of mistletoe!).

Are you ready to warm up your winter with someone special? Join EliteSingles today!

EliteSingles editorial November 2014.

If you have any great winter date ideas, then share them below or write to us at [email protected]

Sources:

1 Alpine Skiing. Ronald Kipp, 2012. Published by Human Kinetics.

2 Different Positive Feelings Leading to Different Ad Evaluations: The Case of Coziness, Excitement and Romance. T. Faseur, M. Geuens, 2004. Found at http://www.researchgate.net/publication/24125785_Different_Positive_Feelings_Leading_to_Different_Ad_Evaluations_The_Case_of_Cosiness_Excitement_and_Romance

3 EliteSingles ‘First date’ survey of 623 members.

4 How to boost testosterone. Sam Rider, writing for Men’s Fitness, 2014. Found at http://www.mensfitness.co.uk/lifestyle/1558/10-ways-boost-testosterone

5 The truth behind testosterone: Why men risk it all. Joao Medeiros, writing for Wired Magazine, 2014. Found at http://www.wired.co.uk/article/why-men-risk-it-all

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About the author: Sophie Watson

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