three girlfriends celebrating galentine's day by holding hearts over their eyes
Friendships,  Lifestyle,  Relationships

Celebrate Your Lady Friends on Galentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is the most romantic holiday of the year, and it is just around the corner. But while Valentine’s Day is exclusive to those who are in a romantic relationship, there’s one special day that celebrates the women in your life. Those women who are your tribe, your squad. The ones who are your ride or die, your biffles. This holiday is for them and for you. And this holiday is Galentine’s Day.

What is Galentine’s Day?

It’s a day where women celebrate women. Galentine’s Day is celebrated on February 13, a day before the big romantic holiday, Valentine’s Day.

If you’re a fan of Parks and Recreation then you are familiar with Amy Poehler’s’ character, Leslie Knope. Leslie is the ever-optimistic go-getter with a love of waffles and a desire to help her community. But Leslie Knope’s best legacy is the new holiday she created to celebrate her girlfriends:

“What’s Galentine’s Day? It’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13 my lady friends 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!”

Throw a Galentine’s Day Party

Here are some ideas of what Leslie gave her friends. You can take some pointers or come up with some ideas of your own.

amy poehler from parks and recreation celebrating galentine's day with her girlfriends
  • Gift certificates for facials
  • A needlepoint pillow with your friend’s face on it
  • A bouquet of hand-crocheted flower pens
  • Mosaic portraits made from the crushed bottles of your favorite diet soda
  • A personalized 5000-word essay of why they are all so awesome
  • Talk about personal relationships
  • Go out to brunch or maybe happy hour drinks

More Things To Do On Galentine’s Day

  • Go to the spa
  • Go to the beach
  • Take a cooking class
  • Go to a cake decorating class
  • Go to a painting class
  • Watch a chick flick and drink wine
  • Do a bar crawl
  • Throw a karaoke party

Galentine’s Day is All About Your Girlfriends

February 14, Valentine’s Day, is about romance, but February 13, Galentine’s Day, is about celebrating lady friends. It’s wonderful and it should be a national holiday.

Yes, Galentine’s Day is a fake holiday that has transcended the show and is alive and well in popular culture. And we’re very glad it’s here to stay! What’s better than an excuse to celebrate our lady gang? And Galentine’s Day is not necessarily the antithesis to Valentine’s Day (you can still celebrate the romantic holiday with your man), but it’s a perfect way to get together with the ladies who inspire, support, and uplift you. As Leslie would say, “ovaries before brovaries”.

What are you doing this Galentine’s Day? Let me know in your comments below.

Erin Love Thomas is the founder and managing editor of This Side of Happy. As a relationship blogger, Erin helps readers find, nurture, and sustain healthy relationships. Erin's desire is that everyone finds the love and happiness they seek.