The winter season offers itself to teenagers as an opportunity to get closer to someone of the opposite gender. With the weather becoming chilly, there are more opportunities than usual to get out on dates. People tend to be more courageous this time of year when it comes to dating because there are seasonal activities that everyone always wants to do and will be excited about. In other words, there’s a significantly smaller chance of anyone getting rejected.

The most cliché date ideas are those that include nearly any outdoor activity downtown such as temple lights or ice skating at the Gallivan center. That’s not to say these classic activities aren’t fun, but they are unoriginal and overused. If lights or ice skating are what floats your boat, maybe try a change of location. The ice castles in Midway are a great idea for anytime during the winter and it’s a much different scene than the downtown area. Or if you think the risk of cracking your head open is fun but you want to avoid the bitter cold, an indoor skating rink is still a reasonable suggestion for date night. For those who can’t imagine a winter date without the scenery downtown, try something new like riding around in a horse carriage (before they discontinue the rides for good).

“I think winter dates are fun because it gives people the opportunity to go to the lights, ice skating, or to the ice castles,” senior Krystle Payne said.

If the typical ideas don’t thrill you, think outside the box a little. Sometimes the most enjoyable dates are the ones that aren’t planned out or aren’t too expensive. Some may even consider the possibility of a more adventurous or outdoorsy date like sledding or even snowshoeing if you think that kind of thing is fun. However, keep it reasonably close to home because you don’t want to venture off into the woods for snowy activities with someone who could be a sociopath.

If none of the above ideas sound exciting to you, a simple trip to the mall for gift shopping or a cheesy picture with Santa could be a solid bonding opportunity for you or your date. A creative way to get to know each other better could be to go to your respective favorite stores in the mall and each pick out a holiday gift under $20 for the other person and exchange them. It may sound dumb, but you never know what will make sparks fly between you, even a silly little trinket could end up having significance in a relationship.

For the people who like to enjoy the winter flurries by looking out the window rather than being right in the middle of the action, there are indoor activities that will keep you safe and warm. Rather than the usual winter dates, try getting all dressed up to go out for a nice dinner and if you’re up to it, seeing lights afterward. Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that just because it’s around the holidays, that doesn’t necessarily mean your date has to have anything to do with the season. A casual dinner and movie is still fair game no matter what time of the year and it’s always a relatively safe bet.

Remember that dates in the winter will automatically be considered more formal or dressy than the rest of the year so you may want to wear something a little nicer than shorts and a sweatshirt, and please, for the sake of yourself and everyone around you, don’t wear a Santa hat or any attire along those lines. This also means that proper date etiquette should be considered and maybe amplified to a reasonable extent depending on where the date takes place and how well you know the person you’re out with.

Because it’s around the holiday season, there will be talk about mistletoe when it comes to dating. My advice is to ignore all of that. Mistletoe is dumb and makes any opportunity to kiss so much weirder than it needs to be. If you really want to kiss someone and you don’t think they’re going to avoid it, go ahead and do it.

One of the most important things to remember is that dating is no more or less relevant or necessary during the winter than it is any other time of the year. If you don’t go on a wintery date or just have no interest either way, don’t beat yourself up about it, you have every other month of the year to take another shot at it if you feel the need to.