In the second season of the NBC hit series Parks and Recreation, Leslie Knope coins the holiday “Galentine’s Day”, a time to celebrate her female friends regardless of their individual relationship statuses. “What’s Galentine’s Day? Oh, it’s only the best day of the year!” She explains: “Every February 13th, 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.”
Corny, chick-flicky cop-out you say? A way of avoiding the inevitable self-reflection that Valentine’s Day imposes? I beg to differ. In this day and age, it has never been more important that women have a space and a reason to come together and celebrate themselves, their sexuality, and their female friendships, especially in a world where male patriarchy remains subtly rampant in our day-to-day lives. In a ListVerse article, Jamie Frater relates 14 “Miserable Facts” about Valentine’s Day. Fact: Valentine’s Day traces its roots to an ancient pagan holiday called Lupercalia, in which men stripped naked, grabbed whips, and spanked young women in hopes of increasing their fertility. An outdated comment? Well here’s a modern statistic: Research suggests that 75 percent of suicide attempts are attributable to relationship problems. Needless to say, a holiday celebrating St. Valentine may have negative psychological effects for men and women alike.
For those of us celebrating healthy, romantic relationships, Valentine’s Day is certainly a positive concept. But we would all be remiss to not acknowledge the reality of what it could mean for others—those suffering from break ups, divorce, death, or many different forms of loss. This is especially important to keep in mind on college campuses, when so much cultural emphasis is placed on (admittedly heteronormative) romantic relationship models. So why not change our outlook? Instead of celebrating romance exclusively, let Valentine’s Day be a time to appreciate all types of relationships: friendly, parental, professional, spiritual… and, yes, even exes. “Galentine’s Day” is a TV example of a much-needed, cultural re-appropriation. Ladies: Let’s take Valentine’s Day back. Put some clothes on your men, and take away their proverbial whips.
And, if my own ex happens to be reading: Don’t be alarmed. I will say Happy Valentine’s Day to you too, for the sake of celebrating something that was once meaningful. At the risk of sounding as corny as Leslie: It’s never too late to be the person you might have been. (George Eliot). So seize the day, collegiettes: As if you could kill time without injuring eternity. (Henry David Thoreau.)
Cited In This Article: Frater, Jamie.”14 Miserable Facts About St. Valentine’s Day,” http://listverse.com/2010/02/10/14-miserable-facts-about-st-valentines-day/. Accessed 2/10/2014.