Galentine’s Day (February 13): Date, Celebration, Tradition and Meaning
 |
| Galentine’s Day: Date, Meaning and Celebration. Photo: KnowInsiders.com |
| Table of Contents |
When is Galentine’s Day?
Some look forward to Valentine's Day, which falls on February 14, with great excitement, anticipating showering their significant other with corny declarations of love.
For others, Galentine's Day, which falls on February 13 every year, is a far more exciting occasion.
Galentine's Day is a celebration of female friendship, as the name would imply.
What is Galentine’s Day?
This day is dedicated to honoring the special relationship that women have with their closest friends. These best friends can take many different forms, but they are an essential part of any woman's life. Galentine's Day is a manufactured holiday, but aren't they all? and a relatively new addition to the calendar of events, but the bonds it honors are as old as they get.
Valentine's Day Eve, or February 13th, is known as Galentine's Day.
Where did Galentine's Day come from?
Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation is a fictional character who came up with the idea for Galentine's Day, which is its greatest feature. In the "Galentine's Day" episode from the second season of Parks and Recreation in 2010, Leslie invites her closest friends over for a brunch full of waffles and love. Leslie states in the episode, "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 honoring ladies." Consequently, everyone unofficially added Galentine's Day to their calendars. No, really: The Atlantic claims that it's become such a well-known hoax that some businesses now run Galentine's Day promotions. Is there anything more genuine than that?
Leslie Knope, the lovable fictional deputy director of parks and recreation in Pawnee, Indiana, is credited with creating Galentine's Day. The 16th episode of Parks and Recreation's second season revolved around Leslie's favorite February holiday, Galentine's Day, according to the show's writers. With close friends and coworkers, Leslie celebrates the joy of female friendship over a waffle brunch and copious gift-giving.
What was once an obscure and unofficial holiday quickly gained enormous popularity, to the point where companies started running Galentine's Day promotions in observance of the occasion. Due to the fact that the once-fictitious holiday filled a gap in the Valentine's Day market that left single women feeling alienated by the pomp and circumstance of the lover's holiday, special happy hours, group spa discounts, and brunch deals are popular ways to honor the occasion.
Knope's invented holiday bears striking similarities to her persona: extravagant giving and passionate sincerity. As Friendsgiving is to Thanksgiving, Galentine's Day is to Valentine's Day: an opportunity to acknowledge the influence our friends have on our lives and express our gratitude for their unwavering love, loyalty, and humor.
Though we could go on forever, we believe Leslie's explanation of Galentine's Day to be the best: "Every February 13, my ladyfriends and I just come and kick it, breakfast-style, leaving our husbands and boyfriends at home." Women honoring women. It's similar to Lilith Fair without the drama. In addition, frittatas
Is Galentine's Day a national holiday?Although it would be great if it were, neither Valentine's Day nor Galentine's Day are recognized as national holidays. However, searches for Galentine's Day have surged 400% since 2015, while those for Valentine's Day have dropped by 55%, according to data from lingerie company Boux Avenue. Thus, make what sense you will from that. You don't have to bore your friends with your awful craft attempts if you're not the do-it-yourself type. Large retailers such as Target and Walmart, along with numerous independent stores, carry merchandise for Galentine's Day. Cynically speaking, that's probably a ploy to entice clients who aren't feeling up to making a Valentine's Day purchase. According to a National Retail Federation report from 2019, only 51% of Americans said they planned to celebrate Valentine's Day last year, indicating that fewer people are spending money on the holiday. However, when the chips are down, you could do worse than to treat your closest friend to something sweet. |
Who can celebrate?
 |
| Photo NY Times |
It makes sense that the main criticism of Galentine's Day is that it is exclusive. Many of us would rather hang out with people of all genders or don't have a whole #squad of gal pals living nearby. We respond by saying that the notion that Galentine's Day is exclusive to women is absurd. Love knows no gender, so it's all about showing your affection for those you aren't romantically involved with. You can invite men, women, transgender and nonbinary people, or anyone you think deserves a special friend to your Galentine's Day celebration. As long as they enjoy waffles, that is.
Can guys celebrate Galentine’s Day?There are many other holidays to enjoy with both genders, but this one is usually only observed by women (hence the name). However, if there are a particular guy or guys you really want to invite, go ahead and do so, provided that they're okay with all the girly stuff. You get to make the rules for this holiday, which is its best feature! |
READ MORE: Umbrella Day (February 10 ): Date, Celebration, History and Creative Activities
Galentine's Day Traditions
 |
| Photo Brig Newspaper |
The girls in your life who are your rock are the focus of today. There's nothing quite like having a female friend, sister, or mother; these relationships are priceless. There are no particular customs for this day because girls like to hang out, chat, share secrets, and make memories all the time. Visit your preferred café, go ice skating, spend a day at the salon with your girlfriend, or just stay home and watch movies and pizza.
Due to the holiday's increased recognition following a "Parks and Recreation" episode, social media trends it on this day each year. Memes and quotes from this particular episode are also shared.
The one thing you must do on Galentine’s DayLeslie would advise you to do the following, regardless of how you choose to honor your female friends: express your sincere gratitude to your friends for being in your life and how much they mean to you. Extra credit for narratives! Not a big chatterbox? Forward a couple of these humorous Valentine's Day memes to them. |
How to Celebrate Galentine’s Day
Have a secret gift exchange
 |
| Photo Cosmopolitan |
Giving gifts is always a good idea, and nothing says "ladies celebrating ladies" quite like an abundance of adorable presents. Make use of an online matchmaker such as this one to covertly pair you with your buddies. Decide on a price range, such as $5 or less than $25, and instruct everyone to wrap the gifts in pink tissue paper. Make sure everyone has enough time to mail their gifts if you're not physically together before taking turns opening them over a video call.
Get your girlfriends together
Collecting the ladies is essential to a successful Galentine's Day celebration! If everyone is unable to meet in person, a group FaceTime or Skype call will work just fine. In any event, make sure you're laughing a lot, reminiscing about the past, and maybe even crying a little—but only happy ones.
Eat, drink, and be merry
 |
| Photo The Atlantic |
Maybe you'll borrow a feather from Leslie's hat and invite the girls over for brunch—waffles, specifically—or perhaps your girl group is more of a cheeseboard and a bottle of wine at happy hour kind of group. Food is a great way to bond with friends, and Galentine's Day is the ideal occasion to treat yourself to something tasty while spending time with your favorite women.
Serve heart-shaped foodThis time of year, there is no lack of heart-shaped foods to enjoy, ranging from drugstore chocolates to grocery store cookies. However, I strongly advise choosing a pie in the shape of a heart. This type of pizza is often available for special prices at local pizzerias in February, so it's likely that you can locate somewhere nearby that serves something resembling the image above. |
Treat yo' selves
Galentine's Day and "treat yo' self" are just two of the many memes that Parks and Recreation has bestowed upon us. If you gathered the girls for facials, mani-pedis, or a day of pampering at the spa, Donna Meagle would be pleased.
Go for a Walk or Hike
Between work, school, relationships, children, pets, and an endless to-do list, we all lead busy lives. Although it's not always possible, you should get off the hamster wheel. Spending time outside with your friend(s) is an excellent remedy. We become reconnected to nature and take our eyes off of screens. We can talk or just spend time with our friends when we go for a walk or hike, take in the fresh air, and appreciate the tranquility that surrounds us. This frees our minds from the hectic clutter of daily life.
Girl’s Night Out
Would you like to go out and socialize with your closest friends? Are you looking for a potential Valentine? Taking the world by storm with your girlfriends and yourself is sometimes the best way to celebrate Galentine's Day. Go to Northgate or Harry's and dance the holiday away. Always keep in mind the Leslie Knope Code: ovaries come before brovaries.
Gal’s Night In
 |
| Photo Getty |
Naturally, on occasion, the most treasured memories are created with the families of our choosing and in the coziness of our own homes. You can gossip, vent, and laugh until your heart's content by inviting your closest and dearest to your home or by making plans to visit one of theirs. Plan a potluck dinner or order takeout, and don't forget to add your best chick flick to the schedule.
Galentine's Day and Numbers
4.98 million household viewers of “Galentine’s Day”
The Parks and Recreation episode "Galentine's Day" from the second season attracted close to 5 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research, which is a positive sign for the show's ratings.
548,000 Instagram posts
Search #GalentinesDay on the social media platform and you’ll find over half a million posts of women celebrating other women in honor of the holiday.
66% of women buying non-romantic gifts in February
While Valentine's Day sales in particular are declining, Hallmark discovered that almost two thirds of women buying cards for Valentine's Day were doing so for non-romantic relationships, such as friends and family. The company responded by launching a line of Valentine's Day cards and other cards that focused on platonic relationships.
 National Best Friends Day: Best Wishes & Quotes, History, Significance and Celebrations June 8 is National Best Friends Day! It’s the perfect time to get together and catch up! Studies have shown friends are good for your ... |
 Top 10 inspiring friendship quotes for your besties Friendship quotes are an amazing way to show you just how special your true friends are to you in life. Let these cool quotes ... |
 Happy Friendship: Best Wishes, Great Quotes Have you ever given your friends sweet wishes in a special day? It is time for you to show your feeling and send best wishes ... |
