Forget Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day Is The Holiday We Should All Be Celebrating
Forget Valentine’s Day. It’s all about some Galentine’s Day — that day when you gather up your gal pals and celebrate all things sisterly love!
The holidays are over, so it’s officially time to jump into that season of all things pink and red hearts, boxes of chocolates, red roses, and mushy gushy love.
But, thanks to Leslie Knope — of course from Parks and Recreation — we now have an even BETTER way to celebrate our female friends — Galentine’s Day!!
What Is Galentine’s Day?
Some would say it’s a made up holiday — but then, isn’t every holiday a made up holiday until we all buy into it and start celebrating?!?
Galentine’s Day came into existence during a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation, when Leslie Knope showed us all how it’s done.
It started in season 2, when Leslie gathered her gal pals together and showered them with gift bags filled with homemade gifts like crocheted flower pens, a mosaic of their faces made with the crushed bottles of their favorite diet soda, and a 5,000 word essay on why they are all so awesome.
They drank mimosas (Hello — what else would a chick drink on a chick holiday?) and ate breakfast foods galore.
HELLO — count me two feet in!!
The best part — it doesn’t matter if you’re single, happily married, or somewhere in between. Everyone can celebrate this joyous holiday.
Galentine’s Day simply celebrates the friendships we have made along this journey we call life.
It doesn’t matter how many people you can call friend. You get to focus on the quality of those closest relationships between you and your gal pals.
When Is Galentine’s Day?
According to Leslie, it is every February 13th — Valentine’s Eve.
Every February 13, my ladyfriends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas.
Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation
Forget the BIG Valentine’s Day holiday on February 14th, make it a Galentine’s Day to remember!
How Do You Celebrate Galentine’s Day?
In Leslie’s case, some might say she takes the holiday a bit too far (like she does with most things), but I think she hit the nail on the head when it came to celebrating Galentine’s Day!
Of course, one thinks of brunch when one thinks of Galentine’s Day — but you can really celebrate it however you see fit. Do what you and your sisterly friends love to do!!
Maybe it is a fun day shopping. Maybe you celebrate with a night at home binging Rom-Coms. You can even plan some at-home mani-pedis while you sip on your favorite sodas.
It doesn’t really matter HOW you celebrate, as long as you get to celebrate your female friends in the ways that you like to be together.
No significant others are allowed at this party. It is for you and your friends alone!
What Are Some Ideas For Galentine’s Day?
Make it super simple, or go all Leslie on the holiday. Just make it yours and make it fun.
You could start by sending out Galentine’s Day cards to all your besties. Sure, stores will have tons of mushy Valentine’s Day cards, but get something more related to friendship and honoring that connection between you and your gal pals.
Go out and buy — or better yet, MAKE — your BFFs’ Galentine’s Day gifts.
You can take a note from Leslie. In Season 4 of Parks and Recreation, she gives everyone gift certificates for facials, pillows that have been needlepointed with the faces of her friends, and the headlines from the newspaper on the day they were born.
Okay, so you don’t have to take it that far — but wouldn’t it be EPIC if you did?!?
Make some margaritas, have some white wine, let the mimosas freely flow, and celebrate in the way that only your best girlfriends can do when they get together.
Is Galentine’s Day A National Holiday?
The short answer is NO. But, it totally should be!
Let’s get real for a minute — Valentine’s Day isn’t a national holiday either, but that doesn’t stop people from celebrating.
Galentine’s Day IS a holiday that many people recognize as an actual thing.
Many retailers stock Galentine’s Day merchandise, and you will have no problems hosting your own mega friendship bash!
Who Can Celebrate Galentine’s Day?
This is the easy — and BEST part!
ANYONE can celebrate the holiday — it doesn’t JUST have to be for the ladies.
The only real rule is that it can’t be for significant others and romantic love.
Your Galentine’s Day party can include anyon from women, to men, to trans and nonbinary folks. Anyone who you cherish and value as a friend can be included.
But, they have to like frittatas and mimosas. LOL!!
