What is Galentine's Day? "It's only the best day of the year," said Leslie Knope, creator of Valentine's Day and queen of my heart. Seriously, for any Parks and Rec fans out there, you know exactly what Galentine's Day is. But even if you've never seen the show or heard of the holiday, don't worry — it's easy to get on board.
Basically, Galentine's Day takes place the day before Valentine's Day aka Feb. 13 and, rather than the focus being on your romantic relationships (like it's the only thing going on in your life), the focus is on the amazing women you have around you. Because so many of us spend way to much time talking and thinking about sex and dating and relationships, while our female friendships—the relationships in your life that normally last— are just taken as a given. So take some time to nurture yourselves and your friendships.
"A lot of the time, women are socialized to give give give," Erika Martinez, Psy.D., licensed psychologist from Envision Wellness. "And when women take ownership of themselves by taking care of themselves too, it's a form of self-care. You are healthier, you have more of you to give, you're happier, you're more whole."
Because aren't they worth celebrating? Here are some ways to celebrate Galentine's Day, because you and your crew are worth it:
1Host An At-Home Spa Party
A spa day is a great way to rest and unravel — but you're also half-naked in front of groups of strangers in a steam room, which is not exactly conducive to bonding. Instead, hire a masseuse to come to your house or just splurge on expensive masks and cucumber water and do it at home. It's way cheaper and you can actually talk to each other.
2Do Karaoke
Singing like idiots (maybe drunkenly) is a ridiculous, silly way to celebrate just how close you guys are. I mean, who else would you be comfortable enough to scream off-key Southern ballads about killing your exes in front of?
3Go Out Dancing
Go out dancing with a rule that none of you can hit on anyone or encourage being hit on so you can have a night of actual dancing, that's not about some weird primal mating call. Sing along to cheesy hits and have a galerrific time.
4Have A Junk Food Pot Luck
If you all BYOB and BYODisgustinglyDeliciousFood, you'll set the scene for a great night of chilling out. Even better? Pair it with some secret santa-style gifts, some embarrassing stories, and make an effort to really catch up like you did before everyone got so busy.
5Go To A Career Event
Are you and your galentines especially grown-up? Well, celebrate the fact that your friendship doesn't rely on relationship gossip and focus on your other passions. Take a class, go to a networking event, or a lecture. Just follow it with cocktails and candy, OK?
Every group of galentines is different — if you guys have a special hobby or activity than it's best to incorporate that. The most important thing is that you're making time for each other and treating yourself.
