Robyn is the CEO & Founder of HER. Find her on Twitter.
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Feb 10, 2022
You may have heard of Valentine’s Day, but have you ever heard of Galentine’s Day? This wonderful day is a great time for all of the ladies to get together and celebrate their best gal pals. If Valentine’s Day isn’t your speed then this day may be better suited to your interests.
If you’re not familiar with the show Parks and Recreation you may not be familiar with this love-filled day to honor all of the special ladies in your life. Learn more about this special day and get some ideas on how to celebrate your queer gal pals right here.
Download HER appGalentines Day was popularized by the loveable Leslie Knope on a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation. Knope states in the episode that “Every February 13, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and 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.”
This day is meant to celebrate the love and importance of friendships between those who identify as ladies. Whether single or taken, take this day to enjoy the camaraderie of your best girlfriends and how much they mean to you.
Galentine’s Day started as a fictional holiday from Parks and Rec. It was birthed from character Leslie Knope’s love of breakfast foods and love of her girlfriends. On the show, she showered her friends with some over-the-top gifts over brunch while acknowledging how much they mean to her.
After popularizing the holiday many stores and businesses started having special sales and events for the fun holiday. People of all genders started using this day to celebrate their best girlfriends, with many groups of girlfriends getting together to celebrate each other.
For many, they look forward to this day more than Valentine’s Day and for those who aren’t in relationships, this is an opportunity to feel loved and special.
How you celebrate Galentine’s Day is completely up to you. You can take some cues from Parks and Rec, but ultimately how you make the day special is your choice.
Leslie Knope loved breakfast foods, so brunch is a prerequisite to this day. Choose your favorite spot and grab some mimosas and a great meal with your besties.
The episode also included Leslie giving gifts to her girlfriends. Her gifts were extravagant and dramatic, but you can still give personalized gifts to your friends to show how much you love them. Some gift ideas are a personalized picture frame, a mug, a gift card to their favorite stores or restaurants, or anything else that screams them. You can also include a card with a funny or thoughtful quote.
Although the episode may have celebrated the holiday in a certain fashion, there are no rules for how to celebrate this day. The only rule is that you spend the day celebrating your best girlfriends.
Galentine’s Day falls on February 13, aka Valentine’s Day Eve. For the single ladies out there, this is a great alternative to Valentine’s Day. You don’t have to worry about feeling left out of Valentine’s Day festivities with a day to celebrate yourselves as well. For the taken ladies, this is still a great day to show some love to special ladies in your life who aren’t your partner.
Galentine’s Day emphasizes the importance of supporting your best girlfriends in every part of life. For the queer girlies, having a good group that you can lean on for support and share experiences can be empowering and necessary.
Nothing beats the connection that you can get out of having some strong girlfriends. Having great girls to make memories or have new experiences can make the darkest of days feel better. Being able to rely on your friends is one of the best feelings in the world.
For the queer girls no matter your sexuality, if you or your friends identify as a female you can celebrate Galentine’s Day. Anyone can honor the special ladies in their lives on this day.
HER is a great place to find some amazing Galentines to spend the day with. There’s a variety of ways to connect with some lovely girlfriends to spend the day before Valentine’s Day. You’ll be sure to find some lifelong friends that will stay in your life together.
Download HER app Robyn is the CEO & Founder of HER. Find her on Twitter.
