What Is Galentine’s Day and Why Is It Worth Celebrating?
Galentine’s Day is the girls’ answer to Valentine’s Day. Sure, it’s nice to celebrate romantic love, but why does it get all the attention? Women have come to realize that there is so much value in platonic love and that the ultimate goal in life doesn’t have to be about finding a partner.
So, what is Galentine’s Day? Celebrated on February 13th, the day before Valentine’s Day, Gal-entines Day is dedicated to the gals and is all about celebrating female friendships. We all know that female friendships can be so loving and supportive and can be just as valuable (if not more sometimes) than romantic relationships. So why not celebrate them?
The term “Galentine’s” was popularized by a 2010 episode of the sitcom Parks and Recreation. Played by Amy Poehler, the lovable character Leslie Knope, explains that Galentine’s is an annual event all about leaving your husbands and boyfriends at home to come out and celebrate your friendships: “Ladies celebrating ladies.”
Whether you’re in a relationship or you’re single, Galentine’s Day is there to honor the close friendships you have with your girls. Because who else will sit there eating ice cream with you and listening to you talk about your romantic struggles?
Planning the Perfect Galentine’s Day Party: Invitations and Themes
The perfect Galentine’s party begins right from the moment they receive the invitation. Sure, you could just send a text, but where’s the fun in that? Creating your own Galentine’s Invitation will get everyone excited for the day!
First, pick your theme. It doesn’t have to be anything too extravagant, but it will help you plan! Here’s some fun Galentine’s day ideas:
- Ladies that brunch
- Slumber party
- Movie night
- Bring a board
- Cocktail or mocktail night
If you want to keep it digital, you could create your themed Galentine’s invite on an app like Canva. You could also take a trip to your local card shop to see if they have any nice ones!
If you really want to go all out, you could send them floral invites—a bunch of Valentine's Day flowers with an invite attached. After all, according to the holiday’s founder, Leslie Knope, it is “The best day of the year,” so why not go all out!
Galentine’s Day Food Ideas That Will Wow Your Guests
After some specific Galentine’s Day food ideas? And what about some delicious drinks? Here’s some inspo for you and the girls.
Charcuterie board
The girlies love a good charcuterie board. Head to the store and pick up your charcuterie essentials, including:
- Deli meats
- Cheeses
- Fruit like grapes, figs, strawberries, dried apricots
- Crackers and good crusty bread
- Dips
Sprinkle your Galentine’s hearts and decor around to keep it on theme. You can even lay out your board in heart shapes to spread the love.
Afternoon tea
Making an afternoon tea with a selection of sandwiches and cakes is always a fun food option. It’s super easy to make it themed, with red and pink cakes, jam sandwiches, and hearts galore!
For drinks, make sure you have a few different tea options, such as English breakfast, Earl Grey, green tea, and herbal teas. If you want to step it up a notch, include prosecco or champagne.
Sweets table
Sweet treats for your sweethearts! If food isn’t the focus of your Galentine’s party, then it’s a good idea to have a sweets table for your guests to nibble at throughout. If you have heart-shaped serving dishes, there’s no better time to use them. Here’s some Galentine’s ideas for your sweets table:
- Conversation heart candies
- Donuts
- Red velvet cake
- A chocolate fountain with strawberries and marshmallows
- Chocolates
- Pretzels (bonus points if they’re chocolate-covered!)
- Macarons
- Valentine’s gummy sweeties
Drinks
With all the Galentine’s day activities, your guests may get thirsty. Opt for red or pink beverages to stay on theme! Here’s some suggestions:
- Non-alcoholic
- Strawberry lemonade
- Fruit punch
- Cranberry juice
- Alcoholic
- Punch
- Prosecco
- Champagne
- Red or pink-colored cocktails, like cosmos!
- Red wine or rosé
Continental breakfast
If you’ve had a slumber party, then you’ll need breakfast for your guests. A continental breakfast is surprisingly easy to put together, yet very impressive to look at. Here’s your shopping list:
- Pastries
- Muffins
- Bread (for toast!)
- Butter
- Jams and spreads
- A selection of fruits
- Coffees and teas
Creative Galentine’s Day Activities for Every Group
Stuck for things to do for Galentine’s Day? Here are some Galentine’s Day ideas that all your friends will love.
Game Night
Playing games together is one of the best ways to bond with the girls. Grab some different board games that keep up the energy—Monopoly and Scrabble probably aren’t the best choices—and have a good old laugh together!
A Friendship Quiz
Creating quizzes tailored to your friendship group are all the rage. Either everyone in the group could make a short segment of the quiz, or you could put a couple of people in charge. Some ideas for your quiz include:
- Guess the baby picture
- Who said it? (Pull up old funny social media posts or captions!)
- Challenge everyone to name each other’s jobs
Vision Boards
Galentine’s Day is still early in the year, making it a great time to put together a vision board. All you’ll need is:
- Paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Magazines
Encourage everyone to cut out any pictures or quotes from the magazines that paint the picture of the life they want to live for the rest of this year and into the near future.
Spa Treatments
It can be hard to find a date to get all the girls to the spa, so why not bring the spa to them? You can set up different stations for face masks, hair masks, foot spas, and more!
Karaoke
Some Galentine’s activities are better suited for the end of the night—karaoke is definitely one of them! Once everyone’s relaxed into Galentine’s Day, it’s time to get everyone to let their hair down with a good old sing-a-long.
You don’t need a whole karaoke kit, just pulling the songs up on YouTube, and singing into the TV remote will do!
Thoughtful Galentine’s Day Gifts for Your Besties
In the same way that Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show appreciation to your partner, Galentine’s Day is the time to show your friends just how much you cherish them.
One way to help make this day extra memorable is to leave them with a Galentine’s Day keepsake. These gifts can range from something small and thoughtful, to something that will blow them away. Here’s your Galentine’s Day gifts inspo.
Self Care Packages
Nothing says, “I love you, girl,” like a self-care package. It shows that you want them to take care of themselves and make themselves a priority.
Friendship Bracelets
Friendship bracelets are timeless. No matter your age, it’s a fun and lovely way to symbolize your everlasting friendship—whether you’re a duo or a large group!
A Gift Basket
Gift baskets make excellent Galentine’s Day gifts because you can tailor them to each recipient. Chocolates for the chocolate-obsessed, fruit for the wellness girly, cheese for the dairy queen, or bubble bath for the friend that’s always calling you from the tub!
Galentine’s Plants and Flowers
Don’t leave buying flowers and plants up to the men! Hand your best friend a beautifully-curated bouquet to see her face light up.
If you want something that’s a little longer lasting, go for a Galentine’s houseplant! They’ll stick around for years and serve as a fantastic reminder of your ongoing friendship.
A Homemade Card
Looking for something more low-key? A homemade card is low on cost but high on love. Spend some time and effort making your Galentine’s card and they’ll see just how much they mean to you.
How to Make Your Galentine’s Day Celebration Memorable
The key to a successful Galentine’s Day is lots of hearts, lots of pink, and lots of flowers. As the flower of love, roses would be a great choice. Try to incorporate this Galentine’s Day decor wherever possible—especially into your table decorations—and you’ll be good to go!
Don’t forget your Galentine’s Day playlist. You could opt for the sing-your-heart-out love songs of the ages or stick to some nostalgic tunes that you share together.
Another fun idea is to set up a photo booth area for you and your friends to snap some pics. No need to get in a professional camera, your phones will do! Just set up a background, grab some fun Galentine’s-themes party props, and a tripod so everyone can get in the shot.
And just remember, don’t stress! It can be stressful hosting—we get it. You just want to make sure everyone has a good time. But with all this planning and preparation you’re putting in, it’s guaranteed that they’ll love it. On the day, just kick back and enjoy yourself with your BFFLs.
Virtual Galentine’s Ideas for Long-Distance Besties
If you and your soul sisters are in a long-distance friendship, that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate Galentine’s Day. If anything, it makes it even more important to set aside time for each other!
There are plenty of Galentine’s Day ideas that can be done virtually. All you’ll need is a video call and a fun activity. You could try:
- A digital cocktail hour
- A friendship quiz with remote slideshows
- Doing a face mask together with a glass of bubbly
Celebrating the Power of Friendship on Galentine’s Day
“What’s more important, asked Big Panda, The journey or the destination?"
"The company.’ said Tiny Dragon.”
- James Norbury.
Galentine’s Day is all about making memories and cherishing your friendships. Because sometimes in life, they’re the ones you need to lean on the most. We hope you have a beautiful Galentine’s with your friends this year!
