It’s February: the month of love. Chocolates, Valentine’s cards, heart balloons, and roses fill the stores. While celebrating your lover is the main purpose of Valentine’s Day, it’s equally important to appreciate the female friendships in your life.
This month, embrace the power of divine femininity with a Galentine’s Day celebration. That’s right. No men, all vibes. Whether you decide to enjoy a fun night out with the girls or have a rejuvenating night in with rom-coms and wine, Galentine’s Day is bound to be one of your favorite holidays.
Where the Name “Galentine’s Day” Comes From
What is Galentine’s Day, you ask? Great question. Although it’s fairly self-explanatory, the word “Galentines” is a blend of “gal” and “Valentine’s,” resulting in the beautiful word it is today. The origin of this iconic holiday name comes from the fictional character Leslie Knope in “Parks and Recreation.” When asked about the holiday, she called it “the best day of the year.” I have to wholeheartedly agree with her on that one.
Here’s to All The Single Ladies
The best part about Galentine’s Day is the fact that (while women in relationships can obviously participate) it is a holiday that embraces singlehood. Since Valentine’s Day excludes all ladies without a valentine, having a galentine (or a few) feels extra special to single women. Galentine’s Day is a reclamation of a holiday traditionally celebrated for romantic love, reframing it to recognize the power of platonic love.
While most choose to celebrate Galentine’s on the Eve of Valentine’s Day out of respect for those with significant others, the beautiful part about this holiday created by women is the fact that you can celebrate it whenever it works best for you. Whether that’s the weekend before, after, the day before, or the day of Valentine’s Day, you and your girls deserve to celebrate each other.
To all the single ladies searching for love: partners will come and go, but your galentines are for life.
My Personal Guide to Throwing the Best Galentine’s Party
If I were to throw a special Galentine’s celebration this year, I would surely be prepared with a few essentials: decorations, dip, desserts, and dirty shirleys. Those are, of course, the only Ds allowed at this party.
To start my preparations, I would adorn the ideal party space with DIY paper heart chains, fill wine bottles with rose bouquets, and lay out pink ceramic bowls filled with chocolates. I would also set up a photoshoot area so everyone can leave with memories of the party captured on camera. For food, mini red velvet cakes and cute cocktails are a must. Perfect Galentine’s drinks are dirty shirleys in elegant cocktail glasses, topped with edible glitter. As for the chips and dip, there would be an assortment – salsa, spinach, queso, hummus, buffalo chicken, dessert, and more – to have a little bit of everything for everyone.
Aside from the decorations and food, music is essential to a party. For yours, make sure to compile the cutest love songs and girl-power anthems for your ultimate Galentine’s playlist. Surely, the better the playlist, the better the party.
Depending on your guests’ personalities, the size of your party, and how you ultimately want to celebrate this Galentine’s Day, you could add a touch of flair by including a dress code on the invites. You could opt for a more elegant look, like red and pink dresses, or go for a simple and fun Galentine’s pajama party. You could even get matching Valentine’s Day sets to enhance the occasion.
Regardless of what you decide to wear or do at this party, enjoy time with your girls and show them all your love.
Why Celebrating Female Friendships Matters
Oftentimes, we desire love so much that we neglect friendships. Celebrating the connection, excitement, and relatability that come with having close female friends should not be taken for granted. In fact, our close bonds with other women should not only be celebrated around Valentine’s Day, but all the time.
There is a reason why we women feel so rejuvenated after spending quality time with fellow women. When we surround ourselves with people who make us feel safe, secure, and relaxed, life is ultimately better. Let’s face it, Beyoncé was right: Girls do run the world. Let’s keep it that way. Call up the girls and start planning your 2026 Galentine’s celebration today.
Featured image via Walls.io on Pexels
