Galentine's Day Explained: The Ultimate Friendship Celebration to Rival Valentine's Day

Move over, Valentine's Day—there's a new celebration in town that's all about honoring the incredible friendships that enrich our lives.

While Valentine's Day, celebrated on February 14th, focuses on romantic love and the exchange of cards, flowers, and gifts between partners, Galentine's Day shifts the spotlight to the importance of friendship.

Whether it's brunch, gift exchanges, or simply spending quality time together, Galentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to show your friends just how much they mean to you. So, let's dive into the origins and see how it stands out as a unique counterpart to Valentine's Day!

What exactly is Galentine’s?

Annually, Galentine's Day falls on February 13. If you're wondering who came up with the term Galentine's Day, it's actually first introduced in an episode of a popular NBC sitcom called Parks and Recreations.

Image Credit: CBR

In episode 16 of the second season, the character Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) throws a Galentine's Day celebration. To cherish her friends, Leslie gifted each of them items like hand-crocheted flower pens and a 5,000-word personalised essay on why they are awesome.

“What's Galentine's Day? Oh, 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,” Leslie said.

Galentine's Day is celebrated on Feb. 13, the day before Valentine's Day. As depicted in the show, it's a day to leave husbands, boyfriends and significant others at home and to gather with other women and to celebrate female friendships − often over a boozy-filled brunch, lunch or dinner.

The tradition of Galentine's Day has outlived the show, which stopped production in 2015.

How do you celebrate Galentine's Day?

Despite its origin, Galentine's Day these days is celebrated as a day for you to celebrate platonic love between friends in your life. So, nope, it's not just for the girlies!

Unlike Valentine’s Day which is typically celebrated more romantically, Galentine doesn't have a specific way on how to celebrate it.

Image Credit: Glam

This means you can basically do anything you want with your friends. Be it a simple brunch to catch up on life, gift exchange, or spa day, Galentine is a day to toast to your friendship.

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