Galentine’s Day. You may have heard the term tossed around while walking through Starbucks or browsing on Tumblr during lecture but never actually had it explained. Well, I am here to shed some light on that definition and explain not only what Galentine’s Day, is but why it is the greatest non-official holiday.
I first heard of Galentine’s Day during one of my many Saturday afternoon “Parks and Rec” marathons. If you do not follow the show, like you should, “Parks and Rec’s” main character, Leslie Knope, created a holiday on Feb. 13 that is dedicated to the celebration of ladies. On the show, it is an annual holiday where Leslie and her closest girlfriends leave their husbands and boyfriends behind and spend the day gossiping and eating breakfast foods. As described by Leslie, “it’s like Lilith Fair minus the angst plus frittatas.” And it truly is the best day ever.
Why is it great? Galentine’s Day is a day by the ladies, for the ladies. It is not about being single, engaged, married or in any kind of relationship, it is about girl time. During the crazy lovey-dovey time of cheesy Hallmark cards and stabby, expensive red roses, Galentine’s Day is a breath of fresh air. No boyfriends. No husbands. No stuffy dinner dates. Just a group of girlfriends and a box of wine.
And let’s face it, the one thing about Valentine’s Day that I think should be subject to change is the men. Men are late to pick us up, they forget to make the reservations, they make you buy the condoms. Galentine’s Day is, in some ways, the improved Valentine’s Day: remove the men, but keep the chocolate and alcohol.
After my first encounter with Galentine’s Day, I never went back. I mean don’t get me wrong, I love Valentine’s Day. Deep down, I truly am a hopeless romantic looking for my Prince Charming on a white horse, but a day of gossip with my friends is a magical affair. Last year, my girlfriends and I went out to the Cheesecake Factory for our Galentine’s Day. When we got to the restaurant, the lobby was crammed full with couples, all packed like sardines shoulder to shoulder waiting for a table. The wait for a table of two was an hour and a half, but for a round table of ten awesome ladies, we waited five minutes. Snaps for Galentine’s Day perks.
And do not be mistaken, this is not a celebration of single lady status, it is a toast to sisterhood. It is our spa day, our once a year needed break to grab our lady-buddies and hit the town because the wine is cheap and the clubs are discounted for the big next day of Feb. 14. As Leslie Knope once said, “February 14th is about romance. but February 13th, Galentine’s Day, is about celebrating lady friends.”
Valentine’s Day is about love, so spend your holiday with the person you love the most. Maybe you will find it somewhere in the dark basement of a frat house that night or maybe you will spend it with that special someone. But before you do so, do not forget your girlfriends. I truly cannot think of a proper way to really thank my girlfriends for being so amazing to me even when I am a true terror, but I will start with a marathon of Nicholas Sparks movies and a pillow fort competition and go from there.
