Gals and Valentine’s Day together create the unofficial holiday, Galentine’s Day. This became an official celebration for single women spending time with their favorite female friends. The sitcom television show, “Parks and Recreation,” invented this as a holiday to take place Feb. 13, the day before the Valentine’s Day holiday. So, what makes celebrating Galentine’s Day so much more special than the traditional Valentine’s Day?
For Monica Roberts ‘18, she explains that it is about “having my best friend around and just celebrating the fact that we care about each other, which is my version of Galentine’s Day. My best friend and I do girly things together that simply can’t be done with any of my guy friends, let alone a boyfriend.”
Roberts plans to spend the weekend before Galentine’s Day seeing “Fifty Shades Freed” and having a fancy dinner with her best friend. “During these times, we gossip and catch up on life. It’s fun days like this that truly make up our friendship.”
On the other hand, Anita Wolff ‘18 responds, “I don’t really celebrate Galentine’s Day because I don’t feel like I have to get together with or gather my girlfriends to celebrate then. There isn’t a specific day that you should do that on, and there really isn’t any reason that you can’t do it every day.” Instead, Wolff plans to make time to watch most of the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” movies because she believes that they “have the most epic love stories and morals.”
Whether you personally do or do not decide to partake in the Galentine’s festivities, we have your go-to guide on how to celebrate:
Galentine’s dinner
Who says a candlelit dinner has to be for lovers? Grab the girls and splurge on a dinner where you all can get dressed up and enjoy being single together. Taking pride in your gal pals and your independence are both amazing ways to embrace the holiday if you choose to celebrate it. For North Central and Naperville locals, we suggest The Melting Pot or Le Chocolat Du Bouchard for dinner and some extra sweet treats, like chocolate fondue, flights, and cakes to “treat ‘yo self.”
Rom-com movie night
A simple win-win scenario for girls looking for quality time with the group without worrying about a price tag or bill. Call it low maintenance with some pajamas and a pint of Halo Top or Ben Jerry’s, or even some limited chocolate covered strawberries from a local grocery store. Everyone can come together to reminisce about classic romantic and romantic comedy movies. It is a bound to be a night full of laughter and tears for all.
Spa day
Another fun thing is a spa day. Go full out and indulge in a relaxing massage or mani/pedi session, something you may not normally get to enjoy with a significant other. Valentine’s specials are always big around the beginning of February, so take advantage on some deals while you can!
Whether you celebrate the unofficial Galentine’s Day or not, it is important to show some love for those around you any time of the year. Valentine’s Day does not have to be limited to just a couple going out for a nice dinner. Thinking outside of the box may begin to make your Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day a little more interesting.
