It may be cuffing season, but you don’t need a significant other to feel the love this Valentine’s Day. Feb. 13 is Galentine’s Day, an unofficial holiday that is all about celebrating your friendships. This holiday highlights how honoring your friendships is just as important as honoring your significant other. Whether you are in a relationship or not, dedicate this Thursday to your gal pals!
What is Galentine’s Day?
Started by Leslie Knope from “Parks and Recreation,” Galentine’s day is all about celebrating your ladies! This holiday is extra important because it’s not often that you get to honor your friendships. Don’t forget to remind your friends you will always be by their side this February 13th!
No matter how you honor this holiday, Galentine’s Day is all about showering your friends with love. Here are five fun and festive ways to celebrate your ladies:
1. Host a wine night!
Invite your friends each to bring a bottle of wine over and mix and match pairings. Pair your glasses with cheese or dark chocolate to make your tasting pop. If you’re looking for some entertainment, Red Flags, For The Girls and Hot Seat are all super fun games to play with friends. If you want to take your tasting on the road, Vinic Wine is located just down the street on Chicago Ave and is known for its selection straight from the vineyard.
2. Go to a nice dinner out.
Go out to dinner with your gals! Because Galentine’s Day is (sadly) not an official holiday, it should be a lot easier to get a reservation downtown. Grab your friends to eat out and make the night extra special!
3. Relax with a spa night.
Keeping in true Parks and Rec fashion, take the liberty to treat yo’ self this Galentine’s Day. Grab some face masks from CVS or Target, or if you are into DIY, here are some great recipes you can make on your own! Galentine’s day is also about celebrating YOU!
4. Order in and chill with a movie.
If you are looking to stay in with your friends, order a heart-shaped pizza from Papa Johns and watch a movie! Skip the rom-com’s (no reason to watch those cliché fall-in-love stories) and watch some movies with strong female leads on Netflix like “Mamma Mia!,” “Heathers,” “Dumplin’” or “Legally Blonde.” If you really want to get into the mood, stream the Parks and Rec episode that originated this magnificent holiday (season 2, episode 16).
5. Surround yourself with other powerful ladies!
If you are looking to squad up and meet a new group of ladies, head to downtown Chicago for a Galentine’s Day Market that benefits the Chicago Period Project. This 21+ event will feature drink specials, arcade games, pool tables, a photo booth and local businesses to shop at. Your entrance is free along with a donation to the Chicago Period Project. Registration can be found here.
On Thursday evening you can bring your friends to Feminist Happy Hour to enjoy booze and comedy at Chicago’s Empty Bottle. Tickets are $8 and can be found here. My Half Of The Sky is hosting a women’s appreciation event with a portion of proceeds going to a local charity organization fighting to end human trafficking. Tickets are $20 and can be found here. Finally, Lost Girl Vintage is hosting BE My Valen-Wine, a wine-filled event complete with valentine making and shopping. Tickets start at $22 and can be found here.
Happy Galentine’s Day and don’t forget to celebrate your friends this Feb. 13!