Gather all of your gal pals, warm up the waffle-maker, and mark your calendars for Galentine’s Day on February 13. In a season that’s so focused on romantic love, a holiday dedicated to celebrating friendship gives us all a much-needed chance to cultivate relationships of a different kind. Whether you’re gleefully single, happily coupled, or somewhere in between, taking a day to recognize the importance of friendship can only help strengthen some of the most important relationships in our lives.
And there’s science behind that sentiment, too. According to the Mayo Clinic, not only do strong friendships give us a sense of belonging and purpose, improve our self-confidence, lower stress, and help us cope with trauma and life challenges — They can also reduce the risk of high blood pressure and depression and even help us live longer lives. When it comes to friendship, think quality over quantity. Forming a few meaningful bonds reaps better benefits than a whole slew of people you only see at the water cooler. One of the best ways of doing that? Get-togethers like Galentine’s Day that let the crew bask in each other’s light. So what is Galentine’s Day, exactly? Here’s the full breakdown.
Why is it called Galentine’s Day, and who started it?
We have Amy Poehler‘s Parks and Recreation character Leslie Knope to thank for Galentine’s Day. She invented the holiday in a 2010 episode to celebrate her own female friends on Feb. 13, otherwise known as Valentine’s Day eve. As Leslie put it:
“Every February 13, my ladyfriends 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.”
In that episode, Leslie showers her friends Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones), Donna Meagle (Retta), April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza), Leslie’s mom Marlene Griggs-Knope (Pamela Reed), and several others with gifts like handmade mosaics of their faces, crocheted flower pens, and 5,000-word essays on why she loves them so much. They drink mimosas and, because this is Leslie we’re talking about, eat breakfast food while the hostess goes totally over-the-top with her expressions of love.
What’s the best way to celebrate Galentine’s Day?
Parks and Recreation earned itself a cult following for its often hilariously realistic depictions of the workplace, romance, and friendship. And Galentine’s Day is no exception. Sure, the sentiment comes from a good place. But as usual, Leslie’s execution goes a little too far for anyone’s comfort, viewer included. If you decide to celebrate Galentine’s Day yourself, feel free to dial it back a notch or 10.
Galentine’s Day Gifts to Show Your BFF Some Love
Brunch is traditional, in the sense that a holiday started by a fictional character can have traditions, because Leslie loves breakfast food almost as much as she loves her besties. Besides, if there’s a better way to start the day with coffee and mimosas, we’ve never heard of it. But a rom-com movie night with face masks and DIY mani-pedis, a homemade dessert potluck, friends-only outing, or even a long-distance marathon FaceTime sesh are all perfect activities. You can also hand out Galentine’s Day cards, share a Galentine’s Day quote, or buy your friend a cute Galentine’s Day gift. The only rule is that you spend your Galentine’s Day celebrating each other, no significant others allowed.
So, is Galentine’s Day a national holiday?
It would be excellent if it was, but sorry — Galentine’s Day isn’t a national holiday any more than Valentine’s Day is. But according to research by lingerie brand Boux Avenue, searches for Galentine’s Day have increased 400% since 2015, while Valentine’s Day has decreased by 55%.
40 Cute Galentine’s Day Quotes for Your Gal Pals
In fact, major retailers like Target and Walmart stock Galentine’s Day merch, and a whole slew of independent stores do, too. That’s likely to try and hook customers who have cooled on the idea of buying for Valentine’s Day. A 2019 report from the National Retail Federation suggested that fewer people shell out for Valentine’s Day — only 51% of Americans reported that they planned to recognize it last year.
Who can celebrate?
Probably the biggest argument against Galentine’s Day is that it’s exclusionary, and that makes sense. Lots of us don’t have a whole #squad of lady friends living nearby, or prefer to kick it with people of other genders. And to that, we say to heck with the idea that Galentine’s is just for biological ladies. Just like some of us call people of all genders “dude” (guilty as charged), your Galentine’s fete can include women, men, trans and nonbinary folks, or anyone you consider a cherished friend. Just so long as they like waffles.