What is Galentine's Day?
February 13th, the day known as Galentine's Day, is the time to gather your girls to celebrate your friendships. This honorary holiday was originated by the fictional character Leslie Knope from the sitcom Parks and Recreation. In an episode that aired in February of 2010, Amy Poehler's character introduced the world to Galentine's Day! Although the word Galentine is a mash-up of "gals" and "Valentine," the meaning has evolved over the years from celebrating the girls in your life, from friends, sisters, mothers, and grandmothers, to anybody and everybody. Today, Galentine's Day is widely accepted as a time to celebrate all of your closest friends. Many people think of it as Valentine's Day's sparkly little sister, with fewer expectations and way more laughter.
As per the original tradition, Galentine's Day is typically celebrated over breakfast. However, a Galentine's Day celebration takes many forms, from brunch or dinner to happy hour, a pajama party at home with gifts, or even events like flower design classes. The beauty of the holiday is that there are no rules! (Except that significant others tend to sit this one out or have their own fun with friends.) Galentine's Day can even be celebrated on any day or any time you want to kick it with your gal pals and honor womanhood, friendship, and powerful relationships.
Why Host a Galentine's Day Party?
The meaning behind Galentine's Day is essentially a platonic counterpart to Valentine's Day. In a world that emphasizes relationships and marriage, it's essential to honor sisterhood and friendships. No matter what stage of life you're in, your friends will always be there, cheering you on, supporting you, laughing with you, crying with you, and, of course, celebrating life with you. Galentine's Day is the perfect excuse to put "friendship first" on the calendar and commit to quality time with the entire group chat or your perfectly sweet duo. You can go big with themed outfits, matching mugs, a cocktail or mocktail bar, and a playlist that makes everyone feel like the main character, or you can keep it simple with takeout, a cozy pile of blankets, and a favorite movie marathon. Galentine's Day is a time for brightness, joy, sharing, and mutual support…all things we need to get through life (and the middle of winter), whether single or taken.
What Makes a Good Galentine's Day Host?
Planning Tips
Although there's no right or wrong way to celebrate Galentine's Day, there are a few things to consider when planning a celebration that feels intentional, thoughtful, and extra fun. The first step is to choose the type of event that will be most fitting for you and your friends. This could be a brunch with heart-shaped waffles and pink mimosas, a pajama party featuring heart-shaped pizzas, a glamorous dinner out where everyone gets to dress up and sip specialty drinks, a spa day complete with face masks and sugar scrubs, a Galentine's game night with silly prizes, a hearts and crafts evening, or a girls' and gratitude event. If you want something even more out of the box, try a bouquet bar (everyone builds a small arrangement to take home), a personal cake-decorating contest, a surprise mocktail "taste test," a rom-com bingo night, a thrifted-charm jewelry station, or a journaling or scrapbook table with magazines, stickers, and glitter pens. While not completely necessary, activities do encourage relaxation, conversation, and laughter, ensuring everyone stays present and in the moment. (Did someone say flower arranging?)
Once you have your idea, it's time to lock in the basics. Confirm a venue or meeting place, which could be your home, a friend's home, a local cafe, a five-star restaurant, a studio, or even a cozy bar or restaurant. Then, select a date that works for everyone! February 13th is the unofficial time to celebrate Galentine's Day, but any date is just as meaningful. Finally, create fun, whimsical invitations that set the tone. Start a group text with a themed graphic, link to a shared playlist that guests can join and contribute to, a dress code ("pink and red attire"), and maybe an action item like "bring a small vase" or "come ready to share an appetizer or mocktail with the group." Make it easy to show up, easy to connect, and festive enough to feel like the little holiday of friendship that Galentine's Day is.
Décor Tips
Since Valentine's Day is often associated with its romantic reds, Galentine's Day has adopted fun, whimsical pink tones! Fresh pink flowers, such as garden roses and spray roses, paired with pink and white anthuriums and orchids, and even some wildflower bouquets for an extra playful aesthetic, make for sweet and beautiful centerpieces and floral accents. A collection of small, mini, and large bouquets creates a cute and effortless aesthetic that still brings a "wow" factor to honor the special occasion. Celebratory color palettes for Galentine's Day include classic pink, red, and cream, or cotton candy-inspired palettes featuring pink, peach, and lavender.
Galentine's Day should feel fun and casual, but also celebrate your friends in a thoughtful way. Especially as the fall and winter holiday decor is well behind us this time of year, filling your space with hearts, candies, streamers, glitter, and more helps create that warm and cozy atmosphere many people crave during the wintertime. Consider hanging string lights, lighting candles, displaying heart garlands, and creating a snack table that doubles as decor with pink treats, conversation hearts, or a "build your own" sundae, charcuterie, or other yummy snack station. For easy photo ops, create a vibrant and playful photo corner with a shimmery backdrop, a vase of fresh stems, and a bowl of props like heart sunglasses or name tags with fun &auot;friend titles&auot; (The Hype Woman, The Planner, The Meme Queen). The goal is to create a relaxed, colorful, yet thoughtful space.
Hosting Tips
The most important thing to remember is that Galentine's Day is for lifting, supporting, connecting, and honoring your best friends. Any Galentine's event should be filled with heart. So, get creative and welcome your guests with Galentine cards that highlight your friendships and give them their flowers (maybe even literally). Some hosts like to have mailboxes (such as paper bags, shoeboxes, or little mail slots) for each guest, or a long clothesline, and ask everyone to bring Galentine's Day cards to fill them or hang up. (This could also be a fun craft to incorporate into the party!) Another hosting tip is to create authentic and genuine connection moments during the party, such as a favorite memory bowl, a friendship bingo card, or toasts where everyone can share a few quick words.
If you're hosting a brunch or dinner, you can also opt for placing Galentine's Day cards at each place setting. Consider including gifts, such as mini bouquets, or encourage friends to bring a gift for an exchange or a little something for everyone. These items can be as small as a bud vase arrangement, a wrapped cookie, a small candle, or a "take what you need" goodie bar with lip balm, eye masks, keychains, pens, and snack bags. Or, maybe your friends love a theme, and everyone can bring "something cozy," "something useful," or "something that makes you laugh."
Most importantly, your job as the host is to ensure everybody feels included. Throughout the event, ensure that all your guests feel comfortable and attended to. Introduce those friends who may be unfamiliar with each other, fill up beverages, replenish snacks, appetizers, or dessert trays, and above all, be present! The magic isn't in perfection, but in making your friends feel genuinely celebrated.
Following Up Tips
As with most events, following up after everyone has left is a crucial step in hosting. Sending a text to each guest thanking them for their attendance and giving everyone a chance to swap photos is always a fun way to reminisce and show even more gratitude and celebration towards your incredible friendships. To keep that Galentine's Day glow, send a recap message with your top three highlights, the playlist from the evening, and a suggestion for the next event or girls' night before everyone returns to their busy lives again. Maybe it's a monthly brunch rotation, a book club meetup, a cozy craft night, or a simple "same time next year?" to turn a sweet night into a friendship ritual.
While Valentine's Day and romance fill the air in February, it's just as crucial to celebrate your girls and the friends who have always (and will always) be there. Galentine's Day is your reminder that friendship is a kind of love worth planning for, dressing up for, and making a little extra special. So go ahead and give these friendships their flowers.
