Galentine's Day: Ideas for Celebrating Your Female Friendships
Plan for Some Special Girl Time with Your Besties
Galentine’s Day celebrates the awesomeness of female friendship – ladies celebrating ladies. Observed each year on February 13, Galentine’s originated as a fictional holiday on a 2010 episode of popular television show “Parks and Recreation”. The idea is to gather your girlfriends for a day (or night) of fun, laughter and appreciation.
As our favorite park director, Leslie Knope, described it, “Oh, it’s only the best day of the year… It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus Frittatas.” Here are some fun ways to celebrate with your gal pals!
18 Ways to Celebrate Galentine’s Day
- Brunch: Who doesn’t love brunch? Host a potluck at home (use SignUp to plan a fabulous fête) or reserve a table at your fave local brunch spot for you and all of your besties.
- Spa Day: Galentine’s is the perfect time to treat yourselves with a mani-pedis, facial treatments, and massages. Book an appointment with your local spa or set up pampering stations at home.
- Galentine’s Day Cards: Print SignUp's free Galentine's greeting cards, inspired by Leslie Knope, and hand them out to your girlfriends to share the love!
- Shopping: For the group of “shopaholic” girlfriends, hit up the mall with the goal of each finding a new outfit to wear at your next girls’ brunch or night out. Make it even more fun by playing a game of “dress up” (and see how well your BFFs really know each other!) – draw names, then have each person pick out an outfit for the friend whose name they drew.
- Pay It Forward: Give back and spread the love in your community this Galentine’s Day by gathering the ladies to volunteer at the local food bank, to walk dogs at the animal shelter, or to make blessing bags for those experiencing homelessness.
- Head Outdoors: Are you and your gal pals the active, outdoorsy types? Take a group hike that ends with an amazing view, go kayaking on the nearest river, hit the beach if you’re near a coast, or go skiing or snowboarding if you live in a colder climate.
- Play Indoors: If you and your besties are the active types but not so outdoorsy, head to the local bowling alley, roller rink, laser tag center or escape room for some ladies-only indoor fun.
- Picnic: Pack a lunch and head to one of your favorite outdoor venues to meet up with your girlfriends. (Think greenbelt, lake, beach, graffiti park, or Barton Springs if you’re in the Austin area!)
- DIY Session: For you crafty ladies, a half or full day of DIY fun may be your preferred way to celebrate Galentine’s. Invite your besties over to embroider Galentine’s Day designs on tea towels or wall hangings, make grow-a-boyfriend bath bombs , create your own wine charms , or come up with your own custom G-Day craft.
- Wine Tasting or Cheese Tasting: If your girl group loves wine or cheese (who doesn’t, right?), sign up for a tasting class at your local winery, tasting room or cheese shop. Or host a tasting party at home with all your favorite nibbles and drinks. PRO TIP: Make it a potluck and use SignUp to coordinate!
- Paint Night: You don’t have to be a master at painting to enjoy a paint night with the gals. Get tickets to the local paint night venue or invite everyone over (BYO wine and art supplies) to follow the instruction of The Art Sherpa on YouTube.
- Game Night: Invite the ladies over for a night of game play. Pick a classic board game like Monopoly or Scrabble, a dice game like Bunco or a card game (ladies poker, anyone?). Or set up a Galentine’s Day scavenger hunt in your neighborhood!
- Movie Night: Host a girlfriend-themed movie marathon (think Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Bridesmaids, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) or treat yourselves at the movie theatre.
- Dance Party: Hit up the dance floor at your favorite club, lounge or bar with your gal pals, or clear out your living room, basement or garage to host a ladies-only dance party. PRO TIP: Check your local venues for Galentine’s Day-specific events.
- Sleepover: You are never too old for a sleepover! Invite your BFFs over to hang out in your PJs and catch up, play games you played at sleepovers when you were younger (Truth or Dare, anyone?), or watch your favorite chick flick.
- Video Date: If your besties aren’t local, schedule time to catch up on Facetime or Skype. Make it an official date by planning to eat brunch or drink champagne and nibble on chocolate with each other during your video call.
- Self-Love Workshop: Arrange a self-love workshop where you and your friends discuss and practice self-care activities. Include activities like journaling, meditation, and positive affirmations.
- Photo Shoot: Hire a photographer or take turns being each other's photographers for a fun photo shoot. Capture candid and posed moments to remember the day.
However you decide to celebrate this Galentine’s Day, SignUp is here to help you plan and organize your girl time.
10 More Leslie Knope Quotes to Get You Hyped Up for Galentine’s Day
“You shut your mouth, you have all the strengths.”
“You know my code: hoes before bros. Uteruses before duderuses…Ovaries before brovaries.”
“We need to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn’t matter, but work is third.”
"I am a Goddess, a glorious female warrior."
"I guess some people object to powerful depictions of awesome ladies."
“No one achieves anything alone.”
"I care. I care a lot. It's kinda my thing."
"Do it. Fierce. Power."
"You're a beautiful, talented, brilliant, powerful musk ox."
"I love you and I like you."
