May all rejoice, because Galentine’s Day is back again! For those who may not be acquainted with the holiday, Galentine’s Day is the younger sister of the more well-known Valentine’s Day. Celebrated on February 13th, Galentine’s Day is dedicated to showering friends with love. What may surprise you about the day’s origin is that it was created by a fiction character. According to Cosmo, an episode of the second season of Parks and Rec centered around Leslie Knope celebrating her “galentines” with waffles and love. Ever since the airing of that episode in 2010, women spend the day before Valentine’s Day recognizing some of the most important relationships in their lives: the ones they share amongst their closest friends.
In case you were wondering how you should spend this upcoming Galentine’s Day, there are plenty of options! One fun thing to do with your pals on a holiday is cookie decorating. Bake a quick batch of cookies, and go crazy with your frosting decorations. Another great way to celebrate your friendships is to share laughs and tears watching your favorite movies. What movies best define your friendships? Choose a movie with your friends, and take a relaxing night off. Need a virtual option? Netflix Party is a great way to virtually share your viewing experience. I have also found paint-by-numbers to be extremely therapeutic these past few weeks, so maybe crafts are the way to go for easy conversation and a creative outlet.
One of the major critiques about Valentine’s Day is how commercialized it is. What was once a day solely about appreciating the romantic love in our lives has been expanded to include major corporations making money off of giving gifts and cards for a holiday with no religious or historical ties. With Valentine’s Day becoming a deadline for giving gifts to your significant other, how could someone not ask the question of whether having a day like Galentine’s Day is necessary? Isn’t there enough stress around having the perfect Valentine’s Day, especially with the commercializing of Galentine’s Day? My answer to that question is that it depends on why you’re choosing to celebrate this relatively new holiday.
Galentine’s Day should be celebrated if you’re making an effort to truly appreciate the friendships that support you each and every day. Galentine’s Day is important whether you are in a relationship or not. While Valentine’s Day has this stigma that it can only be a great day for someone with a significant other, everyone has a person they can uplift on Galentine’s Day. More importantly, Galentine’s Day is a reminder that friendships deserve to be appreciated and recognized as special. How many times can you think of a friend being there for you in a time of need, but you may not have realized how special it was to have that support system? A lot of friendships can be taken for granted, because we expect our friends to be there for us. Even though we shouldn’t have to have a scheduled, annual holiday in order to remember the need to appreciate the relationships in our lives, being reminded on Galentine’s Day is a start. We all need a push to see just how lucky we are sometimes.
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